


~Your Affection~

by 1InSaNeAnGeL



Category: Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arsene and Izanagi are in Love, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Boys in Skirts, Engagement, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Implied Sexual Content, Kurusu Akira/Amamiya Ren has Self-Confidence Issues, M/M, Meeting the Parents, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild Language, Moving In Together (Alluded to), Moving On, OCs-Amamiya Ren's Adoptive Parents, OCs-Amamiya Ren's Parents, OCs-Kurusu Akira's Adoptive Parents, OCs-Kurusu Akira's Parents, OCs-Persona 5 Protagonist's Adoptive Parents, OCs-Persona 5 Protagonist's Parents, Persona 5 Protagonist/Kurusu Akira/Amamiya Ren is Adopted, Post-Persona 4: Golden, Post-Persona 5: The Royal, Seta Souji/Narukami Yu is an Angel of a Boyfriend, Strangers to Friends, mentioned only - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:40:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26025847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1InSaNeAnGeL/pseuds/1InSaNeAnGeL
Summary: ~When your heart is broken, it takes time to mend.When your trust has been shattered, it might be a while before you open up again.When you lose the one you love, the scars left behind remain....But someone equally as broken can help you mend so you smile without pain.Someone equally as lost can be lost with you, welcoming and there to catch you.Someone who has both loved and lost can see your scars and say, "I know, I've been there too."And with that person's patience, time, and affection,You will learn to live another day.~
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Narukami Yu, Amamiya Ren/Persona 4 Protagonist, Amamiya Ren/Seta Souji, Arsene/Izanagi (Persona Series), Kurusu Akira/Narukami Yu, Kurusu Akira/Persona 4 Protagonist, Kurusu Akira/Seta Souji, Narukami Yu/Persona 5 Protagonist, Persona 4 Protagonist/Persona 5 Protagonist, Persona 5 Protagonist/Seta Souji, past Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, past Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, past Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist, past Arsene/Loki/Robin Hood (Persona Series)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	1. ~Withered Flowers Forget, what They Wept for Day after Day~

**Author's Note:**

> ~I used the P5 Protagonist's name in the animation, Amamiya Ren. I wanted to see how I could pull it off; I'm still very much used to Kurusu Akira, but this one is growing on me.
> 
> Seta Souji has been used over Narukami Yu once again in this short series; I might switch back to Narukami Yu in future works.
> 
> Inspired by the P4 song "Your Affection".
> 
> Note: There is no set timeline for this series of works; they do take place post-P4 and P5, but apart from that there is no set timeline. This series is also taking a look at how a long-distance relationship works: Souji is in Inaba, Ren in Tokyo. This type of relationship can be difficult to present, a worthy challenge but also I think is a fun trope to play with it at times. Let's see how these two make it work.
> 
> Mentioned past Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren.
> 
> There will be both Protagonist and Persona shipping in this, look forward to that.~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~Souji Seta. Amamiya Ren.
> 
> Two fools. Two Wildcards. One a Gentleman Thief, the other Manliest Badass.
> 
> Can you see these two falling for each other?~

**_“So did you and Yosuke-san finally get around to studying for your entrance exams?”_ **

Seta Souji looked up from his breakfast bowl of Gohan (rice) and Yakizakana (grilled fish). He let out a soft laugh, setting his chopsticks down for a minute or two. “You worry too much, sweetheart. Getting into college isn’t that difficult.” He reasoned. A soft outtake through a nose shortly followed.

**_“Eh? Well, maybe for you! You scored high on the practice exams, didn’t you? But practice exams aren’t question-by-question the same as the real deal, right? I know you’re going to do great, I’m not worried about that.”_ **

“Are you worried about when it’s your turn to take your college entrance exams?” Souji’s tone was everything but critical or pitying. He propped up his phone a little bit better, so he was more visible in front of the camera.

A boy with frizzy black hair, eyes the color of gunmetal sporting glasses and a bag from a different school, turned pink around the cheeks. He nervously played with a silky, shiny curl. **_“I’d say 50-50? I think I’ll do well; I’ve been looking up online sample questions, I’ve ordered a couple of self-help books, ha because I’m that paranoid, and...I’ve visited Chihaya-chan twice this week to see what the future holds.”_ **

“She’s the fortune-teller friend you have, right?” Souji recalls a beautiful young woman with flowing blonde hair, lovely purple eyes sporting a navy blue headband in Shinjuku. The raven on his phone nodded.

**_“Apparently my love life is still intact, that’s good to know.”_ ** Despite sounding nonchalant, the raven’s eyes read relief. That made Souji’s smile broaden.

“By intact, do you mean she saw us in a nice Osakan residence with three little demons getting us up at five A.M.?”

**_“I thought you said you wanted to move permanently to Inaba after our wedding, so we can be closer to Nana-chan and Dojima-sama.”_ **

Souji remembered not to lean too back in his seat, as it was not really a chair but a stool. “That’s an option, hai,” he agreed, nodding. “But I know your parents are from Osaka.”

**_“My adoptive parents are from Kyoto.”_ ** The raven replied, confused. Then it dawned on him, and he looked away. **_“You mean...my biological parents. You want to invite them?”_ **

“I know how happy it would make you to have them be there on our special day, Ren-chan.” Souji’s voice was barely above a whisper now, pewter gray eyes soft. “You and them, you’ve done really well reconnecting.”

**_“Hai, Nao-san and Teru-san call every weekend to check up on me. They even sent me a card for Valentine’s Day.”_ **

“That’s great, Ren-chan!” The boy called Ren’s cheeks went from pink to red at Souji’s praise. “I’m really happy to hear they’re trying. I’m so glad you know the truth now; your parents didn’t give you up because they didn’t love you.”

**_“They had me very young, and were afraid they wouldn’t be able to provide for me.”_ ** Ren nodded, smiling slightly. He understood now, no longer held resentment towards the man and woman that brought him into this world. Being mere teenagers themselves, not even fresh out of high school and with very conservative parents, which was still pretty common even in today’s day and age; how could they expect to care for themselves, let alone a child with such little preparation? They did what they thought was best for their one and only son. And while his adoptive parents pretty much disowned him after the bogus arrest, they...they actually did the work to look for him. Now, they were talking. They were getting to know each other, not necessarily a family, yet, but getting there.

Souji remembers that fateful day as if it were yesterday: getting off the shinkansen (bullet train) after two hours and thirty minutes of sitting stiffly (both Souji and Ren reading to pass the time) with light travel bags over their shoulders. Standing on that platform, Ren’s hand trembling in his; the raven’s glasses lopsided, the hand not in Souji’s fiddling with his cell-phone in his pocket.

_“What if they don’t like me in person? What if they expect someone else, someone different?” Ren’s voice wavered in and out, his confidence dropping at a rapid speed. Souji put away the Osaka travel guide he had purchased a week in advance, meeting Ren’s eyes. Gunmetal clashed with pewter in the most marvelous of ways._

_Souji smiled and brought Ren’s hand up to his lips. The raven ended up giggling when he kissed his thin, pale knuckles. “You’re worried, very worried. This is a pretty nerve-wrecking event we’re going through; you haven’t seen your parents in a very long time.”_

_“I barely remember any time with them.” Ren admitted, his smile turning bitter. “And I’m not mad at them anymore, honestly. I understand why they had to give me up, why they chose to. I probably would have in their position; being teenage parents isn’t a walk in the park.”_

_“And they did their best to make sure you were placed in a good home,” Souji agreed, drawing the raven, who wasn’t short but not taller than him either, close. He felt Ren’s hands fold around his waist, Souji’s lips brushing his short mane of frizzy, black hair. “Even when they weren’t there, they were attentive. They loved you, and the fact that they’ve been looking for you all these years…”_

_“Sasaki Teru and Nao. If they had kept me, I would have been Sasaki Ren.” Ren buried his face away in Souji’s neck. “They...they were a lot nicer than I expected them to be.”_

_“I see where you get it from.” Souji whispered, closing his eyes._

_“...I asked if they minded that I went by Amamiya over Sasaki, and they said no. They said it fits me more.”_

_“It was nice of your adoptive parents to keep the name Nao-san and Teru-san gave you.”_

_“That was a prerequisite, I think,” Ren pulled away a little to look at Souji. His gunmetal gray eyes were wet, but his shoulders were less tense. “Domo arigato gozaimashita.”_

_“Eh? What for?” Souji inquired with a soft chuckle. Ren rolled his eyes._

_“You came with me to meet the parents. Well, one set though because I don’t think Yua-san and Ryusei-san will want an invitation.”_

_“There’s still time for them to change their minds. You’re still their son, Ren-Rei; they can’t miss your wedding.” Souji frowned when Ren didn’t look convinced._

_“They might, and Souji-koi that’s okay. It’s fine if they do, really. What matters is that our friends and families are there: Ryuji, Yosuke, Ann, Chie, Futaba and Sojiro, Dojima-san and Nana-chan, everyone that matters will be there.” Ren’s forehead gently brushed along Souji’s cheek, the raven leaning forward to peck his fiance’s lips. “As long as they’re there, we’re good. I’ll be happy.”_

_“Ren…”_

_“Ren-kun! Souji-kun! You’re here!” The two boys jumped slightly and turned around with smiles on their faces as a tall and slender woman jogged up towards them. She had curly, frizzy black hair that cascaded down her back in luscious waves; her eyes were a dark hazel, and she had a sweet heart-shaped face that hasn’t been touched by time. Trailing behind her was a man, lanky and thin, with shoulder-length black hair and fair skin. Behind his glasses glimmered fountain stone gray eyes, he was conventionally attractive much like the woman he sported a wedding band with and much like her he barely looked past his late twenties or early thirties. Both were dressed in jeans and thick jackets, as right now Osaka was having a cold front coming in._

_“Nao-san, Teru-san,” Ren held out his hand, the form of greeting he was most accustomed to, only for him to be hugged tightly by the woman instead._

_“I’m so happy to see you,” Sasaki Nao said, a lone tear trickling down her cheek. She pressed a quick kiss to Ren’s cheek before breaking the embrace, out of concern that perhaps she might scare him away. She quickly shifted gears and greeted Souji in the same manner as Teru took Akira’s hand in his. “How was the trip? Okay? You two have the patience of saints, ugh I hate being on a train.”_

_“If Nao could roller skate everywhere, she would!” Sasaki Teru chuckled, shaking Souji’s hand once he was freed from Nao’s arms. “We’re glad you two could make it, how long are you staying?”_

_“Three days if that’s alright? Sojiro-san said we could make it a week, but Ren doesn’t want to leave him alone for too long and I have entrance exam prep.” Souji gave a respectful bow, blushing when Nao took his and Ren’s bags. “Oh Nao-san, you don’t have to-”_

_“No honorifics for Teru and me, Souji-kun. We’re family,” Nao quickly corrected the silver-haired boy, smirking. “And you’re our guests of honor, let me help! We’ve been looking forward to your visit for weeks!”_

_“And you’re welcomed to stay as long as you want, Ren.” Teru assured his son with a light pat to his back. “Our home is your home too, feel free to bring Sojiro-san and Futaba-chan too next time. The more the merrier!”_

_“A-arigato, Teru-san.”_

_“How are the wedding invitations coming along, Souji-kun?” Nao linked her arm with Ren’s, the sweet scent of Ume coming from her hair leaving both him and Souji dizzy._

_“Slowly but surely. We’re still working on the guest list.”_

_“Yua-san and Ryusei-san…” Teru trailed off, Ren’s sad laugh saying it all. “Well, they still have time to change their minds, Ren-kun. They’ll come around, I know it.”_

_“They wouldn’t miss your big day, they’re not that stupid.” Nao added, clearly the more blunt of the Sasakis. She turned to Souji, nodding. “They won’t miss the boy who’s made an honest man of their Ren. They’re stubborn and hard-headed but they’re good people deep down. We wouldn’t have left Ren to them if they weren’t.”_

_“I hope so. The truth’s been out for months now; only time will tell if they change their stance or not.” Souji said._

_“If they don’t, I already said that I’ll be okay.” Ren argued, shaking his head. “The people that want to be there, that I want there, will be there so if they don’t...I can always send them pictures.”_

_“Ren-kun…” Nao said softly._

_“Well, enough sad talk now!” Teru exclaimed suddenly, his smile back. “We have more pressing matters to discuss, such as what you boys want for dinner tonight! I went ahead and did the grocery shopping, whatever you’re hungry for I’m game.”_

_“We rarely get to eat dinner at home,” Nao explained, humming. “With our schedules always a mess, but these next three days we are yours! We can go shopping, see some sights and watch movies together! Anything you want, Ren-kun.”_

_“A-are you sure? You didn’t have to make such drastic changes for me…” Ren protested, blushing once again when both Nao and Teru shook their heads._

_“We don’t get to see you every day, Ren-kun. So let’s make the best of the time we do have together, okay?” Teru said._

_“Hai, with you and Souji-kun! We have time to make memories and we’re going to take advantage of that!” Nao chirped._

_‘Nao-san and Teru-san...Ren-chan is so much like them.” Nao’s passion and energy and hair, Teru’s soft spoken nature and eyes. Possibly their smarts and fashion sense too, since Ren’s jacket was very, very similar to Teru’s._

_Sasaki Teru and Nao...they weren’t anything like Seta Souji expected them to be. Neither did Ren; not all adults had ulterior motives to every decision, every choice they made._

**_“...Uji-koi? Souji-koi?! SOUJI-KOI!”_ **

“Nani?!” The silver-haired man toppled down from his stool, landing on his knees. His bowl jumped but luckily nothing had spilled onto the counter, not even his chopsticks. “...Ow…” he pulled himself to his feet and rubbed at his knees, eyes on his phone again. “Oh gomen nasai, Ren-chan! I spaced out and-”

**_“Never mind that, you’ll be late to class if you don’t hurry! Grab the ice pack from the freezer, scoop your rice and fish into a clean Tupperware so you can eat it on the go and get going!”_ ** Ren commanded, finishing up his plate of spicy curry. It seems he was trying to avoid being late too. **_“I need to get to school too, I’ll call you before I clock in at work okay? Love you, bye! And ride your bike, not your motorcycle!”_ **

“Love you too!” Souji managed to get in before he heard the tell-tale pinging noise signaling Ren had hung up. The silver-haired man did as his fiance directed, practically yanking on his shoes while dumping his breakfast into the first Tupperware he grabbed from one of the shelves above the sink. Shrugging on his jacket, Souji made it out the door, remembering to lock the apartment door behind him before scrambling down the stairs. He drew out his phone once he made it to his bike, dumping everything in hand into the small, yellow basket hanging off the handle bars.

**Have a good day today! ^.^ <3**

**-Ren-Rei**

Souji smiled at the text and typed up a quick reply. He really needed to hurry, he didn’t want to be late; that being said, a heart emoji doesn’t take that long to put together.

‘You too, Ren-chan.’


	2. ~Withered flowers Blossom in the Stream of Tears, They still Think of the Cause~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~Left broken by two ghostly lovers, a Gentleman in Red is finally starting to heal. His heart once again stolen, the irony, by a piercing gaze and icy lips.  
> Our masked warrior is tired, worn from both battle and the demons that hide beneath his armor. When the prospect of love comes too close, he fears it's all a ruse.  
> Both are damaged. Both are torn.  
> But together...  
> Together, even the darkest of nights will be chased away by hopeful, calm light.~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Souji and Ren are not the only ones on a perilous, unsure yet exhilarating journey of unity and foundation.
> 
> Implied Robin Hood/Arsene/Loki romantic relationship.~

When Izanagi first met the likes of Arsene Lupin, he didn’t know what to expect. The Gentleman Thief, garbed in red with an ever-present Jack-o-Lantern’s smile, oozed the charisma and allure of an era long since passed. He was polite in his bows, in how he (normally) addressed the other Persona. His obsidian wings were just as grand and full of personality as he was; Izanagi believed it wasn’t an accident during a battle against a horde of Shadows, that the synchronization of their movements resulted in him catching a lone feather from one of those impressive appendages.

At first Izanagi dismissed the idea of keeping the feather, until it clicked to him that this was one of the many tokens of affection to come from Arsene.

Unlike Ren, Arsene did not wait until they swelled to full power within the Metaverse to be rather...provocative.

“Izanagi-sama, so nice to see you again.” Arsene’s voice was like dark, melted chocolate: smooth, rich, and if too much is consumed too fast will leave the victim dizzy on their feet. The Gentleman Thief wasted no time caressing Izanagi’s chest in greeting, his “face” mere centimetres away from that of the masked sword wielder's. “I was wondering if you’d come out to play or not. I was beginning to think you were avoiding me!”

“Arsene,” Izanagi greeted simply, hands remaining at his sides. He didn’t seem to react to the caressing of his torso.

The Thief in Red huffed, pulling back slightly to cross his arms. “You’re no fun, are you my love? I missed you so and yet you treat me so coldly…”

“Considering you are rather a vicious flirt, I’m not sure referring to me as ‘My love’ is a good idea.” Izanagi replied with a soft roll of his piercing golden eyes.

“Flirt? You deem me unfaithful?”

“Those engaged in a romantic, intimate relationship are our charges. Not us, do not conflate the two together. It's rather unbecoming of your grand thievery.” Arsene somehow made a face, not at all entertained by Izanagi's veiled insult.

“And you think my charge’s feelings for yours is the only romantic inclination existing in this exchange?” Izanagi tilted his head to the side, seeming going from certain to puzzled in mere seconds.

“Is it unfair of me to assume so? Is it really unjust to speak my mind like so?”

“Yes, very much so!” Arsene exclaimed, hands now fists at his sides. “I am part of Ren, of his heart, mind and soul. I am him, even if it seems we cannot be any more apart as individuals." The Gentleman Thief then tugged at his sleeves, long nails threatening to tear the puffy fabric to shreds. "And you, Izanagi, are part of Seta Souji. Part of his heart, mind and soul; you are him. If Ren feels love for him, is it really such a leap to believe my heart’s flame burns so brightly for you?”

Perhaps Izanagi was experiencing faulty judgement at the moment, but was that sorrow lacing Arsene’s normally sharp, blunt statements? Were his wings curling up from the sting of rejection, and the fiery, hellish depths that made his eyes and mouth shrinking?

Was it unfair to the Gentleman Thief, to assume that his sweet words and caresses were nothing but physical representations of his often provoking (whorish) nature?

“You...you are not merely flirting with me, as you do with the likes of Captain Kidd or Goemon.”

“They are my friends, dearest friends. My flirtations with them are simply that: flirtations with dearest friends, they are aware I have no desire to be with either one of them past a passionate platonic bond. Perhaps before I would have fancied the prospect, but that was before my heart was stolen.” Arsene clicked his “tongue” bitterly. “To think, a Gentleman Thief ended up being robbed, and robbed of something he deemed too shattered to be given away again. I had sworn to resist temptation, only to fail so miserably the first time I laid my eyes on you. I believed once I would be eternally bound to Loki and Robin Hood. I had sworn my unconditional, never ending loyalty and affection for them! Only for it to...to end up blowing up in my face.”

“I know. And I am sorry, Arsene…” The Gentleman in Red, now angry which was a rare sight, held up a hand and let out a dismissive snort. Even when Izanagi let his shoulders fall and began to approach him; his attempts at comfort were discarded.

“Do not, Izanagi-sama.” Arsene's tone of voice was clipped, biting. “I don’t want your pity or empty words of comfort. You’ve made it clear that the likes of me disgusts you, that you think of me as nothing more than a well-dressed dog. While I am aware of my fickle ways, I can vow that I’ve never been the sort to play when it comes to matters of the heart. When I love, I love dearly. When I desire, I desire deeply. When I want, I want endlessly. But I also know when I’m not loved or desired or wanted. You have made that clear.”

Before the masked sword wielder could protest any further, Arsene vanished in a wisp of blue flames. Izanagi was left grasping at willowy smoke, a sadness turning his eyes murky, foggy. He had no intended to wound Arsene like he did... “He’s rather dramatic. It's in his blood, his overall nature really.” a Silky said, named Akari by Ren (he apparently had the habit of naming his Personas, thus strengthening his bonds with them), sighing and folding her hands over her lap. Izanagi has noticed she tended to pop in and out of nowhere, commenting on everything but holding dear (apart from Ren and Arsene) nothing. “But I think he was being honest.”

“You think? I'm afraid you're rather hard to read, Akari-san.”

“Correction: I know he was,” The Silky named Akari clarified, smiling slightly. She let out a hum, twirling in place as if in the middle of a dance. “I haven’t seen him so enamored in so long.”

“What happened with Robin Hood and Loki…”

“It took its toll on Arsene, yes. He’s an optimist, like Ren-kun. They had hoped to save Akechi-san, they both had dreams with their respective partners. Alas, the situation did not call for such a rescue. Arsene still feels guilt over his failure, even if the external factors were outside his control.” The green-skinned woman chewed on the inside of her cheek. "He was the only one to adore Robin Hood and Loki, of us lot. We didn't trust them; Arsene gave them more chances than I would have expected from such a grand anti-hero."

Izanagi sighed, looking away from the Silky named Akari. “I know I offended him, and I do feel terrible for painting him as a dog, how he so eloquently put it." Dog was such a terrible way to describe Arsene Lupin. Izanagi saw him more as a phoenix: bursting with color, life, youth. He was explosive, damaging and radiant. He could either cherish Izanagi with every piece of his heart, or despise him with every corner of his mind. And right now, it seems he's dancing a very fine line between love and hate. "It wasn’t my intention...I just don’t want to be seen as a replacement. I don’t have to be told by Arsene himself how passionately he adored Loki and Robin Hood. I can still feel such coming off him in waves. They are softer, and dimmed with melancholy but they are there. He was so devoted to both.”

“I don’t think you are a replacement in Loki and Robin Hood’s absence. Arsene might be daft, and often insensitive towards others at times but he isn’t cruel. It might not seem like it, with how he presents himself, but he is very maternal and patient. He cares for the smaller, more vulnerable Personas that our Ren-kun encounters along the way. He assists in making them stronger, encouraging them while in battle; I believe he hides this side of himself because he fears it being taken advantage of. He fears being seen as weak, fragile when he’s everything but.” The Silky named Akari mused, playing with a lock of her hair. She was strangely poetic in her descriptions. No wonder she dotted on Ren. “What Arsene needs is to believe that the ache gnawing at his heart can be soothed, someone’s song of healing if you will. He’s not pining after you because he’s lonely; he’s pining after you because he’s scared of being in love again yet knows he’s in love again.” Her piercing gaze clawed at Izanagi's armor like nails to a chalkboard. "And be careful, my friend. Arsene might be a passionate lover, but he can also be a ruthless adversary. Don't mistake his hope for rebound. He prefers to adore than loathe." 

“...”

* * *

“Arsene.”

“Izanagi-sama.” The Gentleman in Red didn’t pause in his reading to fully acknowledge the other Persona. Legs crossed at the ankles, book propped in his lap and one of his hands folded under his “chin”; he was the picture perfect image of a Victorian era (as that was the era Izanagi felt Arsene fitted most in, though he was a master of disguise) scholar of tremendous and studious proportions. “If you seek out Akari, she is wandering. As per usual. Last time I checked, she was with Ren."

“As pleasant as her company is,” The sword wielder began as he took the seat opposite of Arsene, resting his hands in his lap. If he was nervous, it didn't show. And if he was confident, that didn't express itself either. “I was actually seeking you out.”

If Arsene could raise an eyebrow, he would at the moment. To make up for lack of that, he made a noise in the back of his throat in its place. “Why would you want my company?” His tone was sharp, much like how it was the other day. Izanagi didn’t bother to deny how deeply that cut him so. Hearing that deep, musical voice barely acknowledge him, sounding almost bothered by his mere presence alone, dug rusty nails into the masked warrior's heart.

“You are sophisticated in many aspects of culture,” The masked sword wielder resumed, pushing onward. He wasn't here to fight, to argue. He was here to attempt to win back the thief's heart. And Izanagi had no intention of demanding the safe return of his heart from Arsene's seductive hold. “Music, art, literature, you are very well educated.”

“Go on.” Arsene can’t always resist a soft stroke or two of his ego. He placed a ribbon inside his book to serve as placeholder before snapping it shut. He avoided looking at Izanagi directly. It was a small step in the right direction, it had to be taken or risk losing his interest once more.

“I wrote a song, and I was hoping you’d listen to it.”

“I didn’t know you wrote songs...much less played an instrument.” That coloring of surprise, how Arsene's back went prostrate. They were subtle hints, but hints nonetheless. He was beautiful in more ways than one.

“Do you consider an electric guitar an instrument?” Arsene chuckled in spite of wanting to remain sour with Izanagi. A swift nod, kicking his legs over the plush chair's arm because he could. How Izanagi was smitten by this mischievous, cunning allure. 

“I might be a bit posh, but an instrument is an instrument. So yes, I do. I happen to find anyone who can play an instrument attractive; it's a talent most people don't possess or hone in their lifetimes. Sad really.”

“So will you honor me with your attentive ear?” Izanagi asked, leaning forward slightly. One of his hands was held up, palm towards the ceiling but he resisted stretching it out. He can only coax the lovely beast forward, not insist. 

Wanting to be difficult still, if only for a little bit, Arsene huffed and shook his head. “Have you played it for someone already? Are you requesting a second opinion? If so, go with the first opinion. None of my fellow heart dwellers enjoy lying.”

“I thought so at first, but as this song is for you…” Izanagi trailed off, golden eyes locked with Arsene’s more slitted, red ones. “I want you to hear it first. I want to perform it for you.” It has taken days to compose this piece, as the masked warrior agonized over revisions. He has felt over and over that whatever he wrote paled in comparison to the emotion he wanted to get across to Arsene. And while he still felt some doubt, he believed himself ready. He was prepared to fight for Arsene's heart.

“...If I were to refuse, what would you do?” Arsene wasn't cruel, but he was no fool either. He's already been burned by Izanagi. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. The irony, with both being Fools themselves. 

“Leave you be, let you return to your reading. You seemed very engaged.” A straightforward response. 

“I was,” Arsene agreed. He hummed softly, gently rubbing two tips of his fingers against his “chin”. “But I suppose if we are going to be each other’s company for all eternity, as our charges are engaged to be wed, I should be courteous to answer a request or two every once and a while.” He uncrossed his red-clad legs and rose to his full height. Arsene’s wings were neatly folded back, blue flames crackling at his heels. “Well, let us find a more private venue. If you’re going to play for me, it will be for me and me alone.”

“Of course, thank you.” Izanagi had hoped Arsene would be the only one in the audience. The others will learn of their affair, if all went well. For now though, this intimacy was for their eyes and ears and eyes and ears alone. 

* * *

Arsene hated the song. He hated the song with every fiber of his being. The song was...it was...just...!

It was beautiful. The opening was a bit jarring, going from soft, simple notes to a grand crash but the Gentleman in Red quickly grew used to it. The song bled with anguish, telling the story of a warrior that never truly gets a moment’s rest. Always fighting, always avoiding being hunted; always on edge, distrusting yet pure. The notes were heavy, fat with mirth despite the darkness. Even someone whose armor was bathed in blood can laugh, smile, speak about the little wonders such as the sun rising on a new day or a flower in bloom. As Izanagi’s fingers pulled at the strings, Arsene found himself mesmerized by their movements. How could hands that normally would be rough and marked with blisters if not for the smooth metal, be so nimble and light? How could they be so fair and dainty when they could easily crush a Shadow’s head?

‘So a battle-hardened warrior can be soft after all.’ Arsene would be lying if he claimed he wasn’t being charmed. His arms were no longer crossed, neither were his legs at the ankles. He was leaning forward in his seat instead of drawing back, and his permanent smile seemed genuine this time around. He knew Izanagi was capable of such heat, or such gentleness despite his rugged appearance. The masked warrior was more than just walking, talking, breathing armor. He was a man. The man Arsene wanted nothing more than to be beside of. The man Arsene will lay down his very existence to guard. The man he loved...

And Izanagi was happy to see this, such in-tune; his eyes fluttering shut as he continued to play, body not as stiff. In fact he didn't remain in place for very long, opting to allow himself descend into the air and twirl about in short, light spins. He allowed the music to consume him as it was consuming his lovely Gentleman in Red. Izanagi, so concerned about getting this right, that he hasn't allowed himself to full immerse himself in the melody. He did let the Silky named Akari hear a bit of the now finished piece for feedback, but for the most part this was all for Arsene’s “ears”. This was for his ears. This was for him and Arsene. This was for his Arsene.

He had been a fool (not in the Arcana sense) once, he didn’t wish to repeat the same mistake again.

When the song was over and Izanagi set his guitar to the side, it floating in mid-air undisturbed, Arsene let out an amused purr. He allowed his wings to stretch out taut once again, joining the masked warrior in the air. A small ball of blue flames danced between his fingertips, "lips" parting slightly. “I have to admit I’m impressed. You do clean up well, Izanagi-sama.”

“Please, no honorifics.”

“Oh? And why not?”

“Because we are not friendly strangers, Arsene.” Izanagi chose his words carefully. Arsene wasn’t one to play with one’s heart, but he was fragile. If he sensed he was being played, he’ll leave on the spot. “We are not friendly strangers, not strangers in the slightest.”

“Then friends?”

“I want us to be more.” Arsene tilted his head back to indicate surprise. While his chest felt tight with hope, with fervor he forced himself to remain composed. He will not leap at the first sight of possibility...

“Why? Do you assume like some that dogs like myself-”

“You are not a dog. I, I was wrong, Arsene. I was wrong to make such a judgement of you; I was wrong to think you were just toying with me.” Izanagi cut off the Gentleman in Red as politely as he could. One of his hands reached out and took Arsene's. The Thief did not pull away. “I assumed that you were trying to replace Robin Hood and Loki with the likes of me.”

“My period of mourning has long since passed. I do miss them still, but the love I had for both has been compartmentalized.”

“Compartmentalized?” Izanagi echoed.

“I will never forget them.” Arsene explained, sighing. “I will always love them, and remember them. The good times and not-so good times together; the fights, when we made up, the stark contrast of views concerning justice...Ren will never forget Akechi Goro, as I will never forget Robin Hood and Loki. I rather die than do so. That being said, it’s not impossible to love again. To yearn for one’s companionship, to want to be someone’s shield if they are the sword. It’s not impossible...or wrong to feel so strongly for someone once again. Unlike Ren with Souji, my attachment to you was instantaneous. I felt this pull, only growing stronger and stronger by the second, and instead of ignoring it I embraced it. I don’t know if there is a world outside of ours, another we can visit and encounter the sweetest of passions and delights. But if there isn’t, I am satisfied with this. Because you exist, Izanagi. You are here; I’ve been waiting for you for who knows how long, I’ve lost track of time! If I have ever made you feel uncomfortable, please accept my sincere apologies. If I ever made you feel that you are nothing but a stand-in for Robin Hood and Loki, I’m an idiot and will spend the rest of my life atoning for such a crime. Because you are not a stand-in.”

“I’m not.” Izanagi echoed, though it was far from wanting to reassure himself. 

“No, you are not. You are nothing like Loki or Robin Hood, for starters. And that is fine. While a silent fiend, you are also kind. While merciless, you are capable of showing mercy. You fight with everything you possess, yet at the same time you don’t fight for mindless bloodshed. You are generous, protective; you are more of a man than most human males will ever be. You are beautiful and graceful, I envy such delicate charm but at the same time I don’t want it. Because it’s uniquely you. If I were to remove even one trait, you’d fall apart at the seams. No, I don’t want pieces of you. I want all of you.” Arsene pressed a hand to his "face", "And I...I need help. I need help understanding how to have all of you. I will do whatever possible, I give you my word. Just please, please show me how."

Izanagi was silent, his expression unfathomable. Arsene fell silent as well, a few stray feathers falling quietly to the floor. When it seemed that nothing would be said, The Gentleman Thief sighed.

Only to soon be embraced tightly to Izanagi’s chest. Such power, behind the gentle crush. Arsene’s wings flapped but not out of desire for flight or in alarm. His hands slid free so that Arsene could embrace the sword wielder around the neck, around the neck of his sword wielder. Arsene let out a breath he wasn’t aware he had been holding in, fiery slits for eyes growing tighter and tighter while his heart, finally, felt light. “I love you, Izanagi…”

“I love you too, Arsene. And I vow to protect you, your heart, mind and soul, with my life. Always…”


	3. ~Turning Misery into Meaningfulness, Changing Day after Day~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~Recalling the first meeting that altered two lives forever...~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Returning to Souji and Ren, another snippet of their lives together. Even if they're miles and miles apart, their love is stronger. And how did this love story begin? Well...
> 
> Two boys in love, and being dorky. They're very funny to write when like this.
> 
> Nanako is mentioned because why not? She's amazing.
> 
> More wedding talk, small talk, and Souji makes it very, very, very clear he wants Ren's babies.~

**_“I’m so happy it’s the weekend, it took forever to get here!”_ ** Ren proclaimed with immense, immense relief, his face extra radiant against Souji’s laptop screen due to his glee.  **_“I can’t wait to finally sleep in. No tests or heavy reading, at least until my teachers decide to band together and plan some terrible, super secret quiz that we only have five minutes to finish. I'm officially free..."_ **

“I have an evening shift at the hospital tomorrow,” Souji replied to this great speech, shrugging lightly as it really was no big deal. His fiance couldn’t see it though, as the silver-haired man was off screen. Why not do some light cleaning and talk with one of the most beautiful boys in the world, all at the same time? Genius, just genius.

**_“Did you remember to pack your lunch beforehand?”_ **

“Hai, and made sure to leave it in the fridge overnight so it stays nice and crisp.” Souji assured Ren, chuckling softly. “Always making sure I don’t forget to eat, arigato Ren-chan!”

**_“Hey, you do the same for me. In sickness and in health right? It’s my job as your future husband to take care of you…even if I’m miles and miles away.”_ **

Souji paused what he was doing, which was rearranging some family photos, and smiled once again. He settled into his desk chair, straightening his back as he locked eyes with Ren. “I know, and you’re doing an amazing job.” He praised, enjoying how his darling raven looked away shyly. “I feel so taken care of, Ren-chan. Every single day; every text, every call, everything you do makes me feel like you're here even when you're not.”

**_“Sometimes it doesn’t feel like I do enough though…I mean, with us being so far apart and sometimes you're busy and I'm busy that we can't always sit down and talk? Is that really a lot?”_ **

“You do more than you think you do. You’re in Tokyo, I’m in Inaba. It’s not easy, especially with how crazy our hours can be but, but I’m happy.” Souji clicked around a few times on the screen so it was full screen over the normal, tiny right hand corner. “There we go, and I have to say how beautiful you look with flower petals in your hair!” The silver-haired man wasn't necessarily trying to change the subject; he understood Ren's worries, of course because he had them too. But one of the things Seta Souji enjoyed the most, and which helped Amamiya Ren not focus too much about the distance, was talking about each other's day. Ren's already asked him how his day went. "That isn't Ume, what is it? Getting a lot of orders in?"

**_“Sakura blossoms, apparently that’s in pretty high demand right now? I don’t know how that makes sense since we’re on the threshold of December, but Amaya-san and I are making it work.”_ **

Souji’s smile broadened almost immediately as he unconsciously went on a trip down memory lane. Winter was a nice time and all, with the fuzzy coats and sweaters and hot chocolate, but spring held a special place in his heart.

It was during the spring that he met one Amamiya Ren, during a stop at the underground mall in Shibuya. He had wanted to surprise Nanako with a bouquet of flowers, but he wasn’t sure what to get her exactly. With so little knowledge in hand, Seta Souji ventured into the tiny little flower shop expecting to be lost for hours.

Instead…

_ “Hello and welcome! My name is Amamiya-kun, how can I help you today?” Seta Souji blinked as the raven gave him a soft, graceful bow as he entered. Dark blue jeans, a dark green apron over a soft brown long-sleeved v-neck shirt. When the other boy straightened his back, folding his hands over his lap, he flashed a sweet grin in Souji’s direction. _

_ A short lion’s mane of frizzy, shiny black hair, heart-shaped face with flawless, smooth porcelain-like skin and eyes, large and piercing, the color of gunmetal and behind thick glasses. His lips were a faint pink, and when he grinned the raven showed off a tiny hint of sharp canines. _

_ He...he was… _

_ “Umm, sumimasen? Are you alright, sir?” The raven’s smile fell as he stared at Souji, who just stared back. No answer; odd. “Sir? Sir…?” _

_ “N-nani? Oh, gomen nasai!” Souji was bowing this time around, his cheeks tomato red. “I spaced out, I’m so sorry. I was thinking very hard about what I came in here for,” he cleared his throat and locked eyes with the raven. “Seta Souji, nice to meet you. I want to buy a bouquet for my little sister, but I’m afraid I don’t know much about flowers and their meanings.” _

_ “Oh, haha it’s okay! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your mind palace.” The raven, his name tag read Amamiya, waved away Souji’s apology then and there. What a chipper, giddy guy. “A bouquet for your little sister, huh? I can definitely help you with that, sir! I get bouquets for my sister from here all the time.” _

_ It was then that Souji noticed the raven named Amamiya had petals in his hair. Ume. _

_ “Ume?” _

_ “Hmm? Oh yes, I was just watering our latest shipment,” Amamiya explained, quickly shaking the remaining petals out of his hair. He seemed a tad embarrassed being caught so messy, though Souji couldn't fathom why. He looked really cute with a small splash of color in his curls. “Gomen nasai! Now, you said it’s your little sister...aha! What’s her favorite color? Or colors, we can start there!” _

_ “Pink, red, white, and orange.” Souji answered easily. Amamiya nodded and hummed. _

_ “Pink, red, white, and orange...I think I know just what you need.” The raven soon darted past the silver-haired man, “Please wait here! I’ll be right back.” His voice carried so well, oozed command yet he wasn't really commanding Souji to do anything. _

_ “Hai,” Souji nodded once, watching as the boy named Amamiya disappeared around the corner. Oh, so the backroom is reached by other means; it doesn’t look like this tiny stand has its own personal storage room or greenhouse. It was the only flower shop in the mall in general... _

_ Do flower shops still do well in this day and age, as gifts were becoming more synthetic and less graced with simple yet precious human contact? Was it fair to contemplate this, as everyone is experiencing life with a heavy, thick lens? _

_...These thoughts, where they come from is still a damn mystery! _

_ "Here we go!" _

_ "Eh?" _

_ The silver-haired man only had to wait ten minutes before Amamiya made a grand re-entry, holding in his hands a rather beautiful collective of Tsubaki (Camellia), Momo (Peach), Sakura (Cherry Blossom), and Akaichurippu (Red Tulip) held together by a soft, white silk ribbon. “Sorry I made you wait so long! But I think these will work,” Amamiya said, smiling eagerly. “Tsubaki: Humility, Discretion, Perfect love; the bond between brother and sister can be fleeting but also withstand even the harshest of storms. Momo: Fascinating personality; a way to remind her to always stand out instead of blending in with the crowd. Sakura: Accomplishment, Beauty of heart; may her good judgement always guide her to kind and caring people. And Akaichurippu: Fame, eternal love; no matter the distance, no matter the heartache, even if time causes you two to drift apart, the love between you is much stronger than any other force on Earth. Even the force of time,” Amamiya’s smile softened as he went over the meanings, eyes glistening like pools filled with dark pearls. “And to make it perfect...Ume: Elegance, Faithfulness, Pure heart; the world can be pretty frightening sometimes, but that doesn’t mean beauty will be shunned forever. As long as you hold on to the good memories, there will be light. There will be…” _

_ ‘The descriptions he gave to the meanings, they’re simplistic yet poetic at the same time.’ Souji thought with immense fascination, his heart pounding just a little bit faster. “They’re gorgeous…” He choked out, each petal looking so soft and ticklish to the touch. Nothing out of place, clearly well tended to. _

_ “Arigato, Amaya-sama and I believe in giving our customers only our very best!” Amamiya exclaimed, giggling. “And since this bouquet is for a very special lady in your life, Seta-san, I don’t wish to disappoint.” _

_ “Souji please, and you didn’t. Thank you! I wouldn’t have known where to start looking, and those meanings! It sounded like you were reciting poetry, haha!"  _

_ The raven's giggling returned with a vengeance. The silver-haired man wondered if this Amamiya was a siren in disguise; can someone really sound that delightful when laughing? _

_ “It’s amazing, isn’t it? How flowers can say so much with so little presentation. The opposite of people, I think so at least.” Amamiya held out the bouquet to Souji. “Here, hold on to them. I’ll ring them up and then provide you with floral form. They’ll be easier to carry that way, and it will soak up the water and increase the longevity of the flowers so she can keep them a little longer.” _

_ “Thank you very much, again…” _

_ Souji was surprised the beautiful bouquet didn’t cost him an arm and leg in the end. Amamiya must have noticed the surprise in Souji’s pewter gray eyes, as he stifled yet another sing-song like giggle. “Beautiful flowers for loved ones shouldn’t cost an arm and leg. We’re the best flower stand in Shibuya for a reason!” _

_ “You saved me today, Amamiya-san.” Souji sighed in relief once more. Was he doing too much of that? Was it annoying, obvious? Just what was going on in the raven's head? He wasn't as easy to read as others... _

_ “I’m happy to hear you’re satisfied with your service and purchase, Seta-san.” Amamiya replied with yet another beaming smile. Either he hadn't noticed the older man's internal struggle, or did but chose not to comment out of polite observation. The raven took his time working the floral foam into a suitable shape for Nanako’s bouquet, Souji watching quietly, humming lightly under his breath as he did so. Such thin, pale fingers working nimbly folding, twisting. _

_ He’s been at this for a while, and he enjoyed his work. That smile, the air around him wasn’t practiced but genuine. His energy was consuming but not overbearing. _

_ He was happy here. _

_ “Thank you so much, Amamiya-san.” Souji said again, accepting the carefully wrapped bouquet from the raven. Their fingers brushed for a second or two, and that left the silver-haired man breathless, heart racing once again. “I hope you have a good rest of the day.” _

_ “Arigato! You too, safe travels. I hope your little sister likes the bouquet,” Ren waved before he turned on his heel and picked up one of the watering pots, possibly to see if any of his lovelies were thirsty. He sounded sincere when he said he hoped Nanako adored the flowers. _

_ Should...should he? No, it would seem too weird, random. But isn't that what Seta Souji was best known for? Being random? _

_ Yes, yes it was. And why stop now? _

_ “...Wait!” Souji made the short distance from where he was standing to back to the front of the stand, looking for something in his pockets. _

_ “Nani?” Amamiya asked, setting the watering pot back down and meeting Souji halfway. “Did you forget...something?” The raven blinked when Souji held an Orizuru (Paper crane) made from a sheet of cherry red paper out to him. Amamiya blinked his pretty gray eyes and tilted his head to the side. “It’s lovely,” he said after a minute of silence, particularly impressed by the paper creature’s wings. He blinked again when Souji gently deposited the Orizuru into Ren’s cupped hands, the silver-haired man now walking away again. “S-seta-san?” _

_ “Someone so beautiful and helpful deserves a parting gift just as delightful. Arigato, Amamiya-san,” Souji said, not looking back. There was a smile in his tone of voice. “May that Orizuru bring you closer and closer to your Paradise.” _

_ Amamiya watched as Souji disappeared into the crowd. His eyes then fell back onto the Orizuru, watching how its wings fluttered a bit by the wind caused by passing bodies. _

_ It was an unusual tip, as normally customers just ignored Amamiya shortly after making their purchases. But...just because it was unusual, didn’t mean it wasn’t sweet. And it was, it was sweet. _

_ ‘Would it be weird to name it? Baka, who cares if it’s yours? Hmmm, I think I’ll call you...Maki, written with the kanji meaning “True, precious”.’ Amamiya brought the Orizuru’s head to his lips, pecking it very, very, very lightly. “Maki...and he said his name was Seta Souji-san. Seta-san.” _

“Are you looking forward to the winter season, Ren-chan?” Souji asked, seemingly out-of-the-blue as he leaned back in his chair. Ren hummed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Sort of? I like wearing heavy coats and fuzzy sweaters and drinking hot chocolate while reading through your  _ The Timid Teacher _ series that I still have-”

“I get the feeling that I’m not getting those books back until after the wedding!” Souji snickered, his silver hair flying slightly before settling back into its prime, perfect bowl cut. Ren’s laughter filled his fiance’s ears, and heart, with happy notes.

“What? I’m a slow reader when I have other stuff to do! Tell my teachers not to assign so much homework and then we can talk, honey. Anyway, back to what I was saying: I sort like it, because I like heavy coats and fuzzy sweaters and drinking hot chocolate with a slice of Matcha Mille Crepe cake,” Ren’s eyes sparkled, “but I wouldn’t mind skipping October, November, December, and January.”

“Because the Ume might be blooming?”

“Hai! But also...because in February I can personally give you flowers for Valentine’s Day.” Ren admitted, unable to hold back his big, wolfish grin. Especially when Souji’s pewter gray eyes grew wide as dinner plates.

Wait a second...

“You’re coming to Inaba in February? To see me??”

“Hai, and to officially meet Dojima-sama and Nanako-chan. In person, because I know I have met them via video chat but it doesn’t feel the same to me so yeah, to officially meet them.” Ren rambled a bit, as he sometimes did when nervous. “I didn’t want to tell you yet, you made me spoil the surprise but-”

“No, no I can’t wait to see you!” Souji cried out, his straight white teeth threatening to blind Ren with how bright his smile was. “I-I’ve been missing you since September, Ren-chan! Hell, obviously before then but September was the last time we were actually together face-to-face. I thought I was going to have to wait until the summer!”

“I thought so too, but...Sojiro-san said that if I really, really want to see you I’ll find a way to make it work.” Ren’s cheeks were now flushing a rich cerise pink. “I’ll be visiting with Morgana and Futaba-chan, Sojiro-san too! It’s only fair you meet them in person too, and that Dojima-sama and Nanako-chan get acquainted with them.”

“Ha, even though I’ve already met Futaba-chan and Sojiro-sama in person last time I was in Tokyo?” Souji teased, wiping at his eyes. He was tearing up, and damn it will he deny it? Not in the slightest, because why? Ren was coming to see him! He was coming to see him, why not cry to express how excited and pleased he was? “I have a lot of cleaning up to do then, haha! Lots of planning, moving around furniture- it’s not going to be easy, but we can do this. I'm getting a head start tonight, I should be done before you get here. I can do it, yeah!"

“We better learn to work with deadlines, Souji-koi. Once we’re married we’re going to be very busy, we’ll both need to multitask all day every day. You can do that pretty well, I still need practice. Wow, that sounds kind of bad when we're planning a wedding. Let's see: graduation, wedding, two-week honeymoon and then moving into our new house...okay, we're going to need a planner each to keep up with this!"

“Especially if we pop out a kid a few months after the honeymoon.”

Ren’s entire face and neck were red now, and he glared mildly at Souji. “Baka! D-don’t say it like that…”

“Right, I wouldn’t mind two or three.” Souji said this with such a straight face, that Ren instantly went from red to pale in the face.

“Seta Souji!”

“Amamiya Ren,” Souji mimicked his raven-haired fiance, gently touching the screen. “I can’t wait to tell you ‘I love you’ when I see you in person again. I’ll always tell you I love you, of course, but to say it in person...sometimes this long-distance relationship can be hard on both of us but we’re making it work. We’re making it work, and that’s amazing and I’m willing to keep this going as long as you and I believe we can do it.”

Kind of amazing how these young men were such aggressive, demanding fighters in battle yet were easily reduced to puddles when exchanging sweet words with each other. How they ended up together, it was truly an act of fate. To think, if things had gone differently...well, things happen for a reason.

There was a reason Ren met Souji. There was a reason it had been in a flower shop. And there was a reason Ren ended up falling in love with Souji, despite the obstacles both external and internal standing in the way.

Things happen for a reason; they were together for a reason.

Ren copied the silver-haired man’s actions, both being very careful not to trigger the touch screens and minimize their windows. A few tears were streaming down his cheeks but he was smiling, he was happy. “I miss you every day...but even with that, I think about you every day. Only you; I...I think that I could go more than a year without seeing you, without hearing from you and still feel this way. I’ll wait, I’ll wait for you! Always, Souji-koi.”

“Me too, Ren-koi. I’ll wait for you too, always.”


	4. ~Your Affection, Your Affection, Taking Pride from Fear~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~Everyone can see that Souji doesn't need someone else.  
> Yosuke knows a lost cause when he sees it; this time though, lost cause doesn't imply something bad.~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Yosuke is an amazing bro, Souji want's Ren's babies, and we learn why Ren loves Souji.
> 
> Brief mention of past Akechi/Ren.~

Hanamura Yosuke hid a smirk as he watched Seta Souji take down one of the pictures he had pinned up in his living room, the red push pin between his teeth. “Did Ann-chan send you another one?” He asked, fully lounging on the long, gray couch. He folded his hands behind his head, shoes kicked off.

Souji chuckled, holding up an envelope. He was dressed down, perfect for a rainy afternoon indoors: a plain white t-shirt and gray sweatpants. He didn't have to worry about setting out clothes for tomorrow either, as it was his day off. “Actually, she sent me seven.” He corrected, the fawn-haired boy suddenly sitting up straight and gaping. He seemed rather surprised by this. Then again, Yosuke wasn't the one dating Ren.

Maybe this has become so normal for Souji it didn't knock him off his feet, like it used to during the early stages of his and Ren's relationship. He was happy, though, that the warm fuzzy feeling that came with every letter remained.

“She sent you seven pictures?! Seven, okay is Ren-kun doing modeling part-time now or what?” Yosuke shook his head, settling back down. "I know she's like the head of the SouRen fan club and all, but she takes it a little too seriously. How does she have time to pick out pictures of Ren to send you? Again, modeling in secret?"

“More like Ann-chan convinces him to join her for photo shoots and she takes pictures of Ren when he’s not paying attention.” The silver-haired man looked through all seven photographs, pewter gray eyes dancing in mirth. Souji shuffled them around a bit before tapping a finger over the one he decided was perfect. Which wasn't easy, as Ren was perfect in every shot...! It was very unfair, really. “He looks beautiful in all of them, but I’m glad she got a candid shot in here.” This clearly has been going on for a while now, as Souji knew what a candid shot meant.

Takamaki Ann can be quite the teacher when she wanted to be.

“If she wasn’t so cute…” Yosuke mumbled, getting up and looking over Souji’s shoulder. “Got to admit though, he’s pretty good in front of the cameras.” He added shortly afterwards. Even though the fawn-haired boy would sneak a peek more at Ann, who was noticeable in the shot even with all of her attempts to remain out of sight, Ren was cute. Not his type, but cute. At least not as cute as Ann.

Ann. Yeah...cute.

...

?!

Anyway! Focus, Yosuke. Focus.

“Nanako said the same thing too, the first time she saw my phone home screen.” Souji mused as he made sure he lined up the hole with the push pin once again. He measured as best as he could with his fingers before putting up the new picture of Ren on the wall. “He could be a model himself if he really wanted to, but Ren and me are the same in that regard: we like the idea of a peaceful, quiet life way too much. Maybe under an alias, but definitely not as himself.”

That and with the whole bogus arrest, even if that has been proven to be nothing but bullshit, some people will still see Ren as a juvenile delinquent hellbent on destroying everything in his path. His image alone could promise billions, but some people's perspectives might never change.

'Their loss,' Souji thought with pride. 'Ren is amazing, and if they choose to miss out on him because of Shido's lies then that's on them. Not him.'

“You guys are so mushy,” Yosuke said, in good taste though. His voice broke Souji's train of thought, bringing him back to the present. “You guys call each other every day, text throughout the day, make plans for winter or summer romantic getaways and have pictures of each other on the walls. If I didn't know you two, I'd be kind of laughing it up. But since I know you two, I'll just laugh on the inside!" The fawn-haired boy was grinning, which caused Souji to join in.

He was glad his partner and fiance got along so well, and that Yosuke didn't get uncomfortable or teased mercilessly Souji and Ren about their relationship. It might have been a big change, considering Souji was marrying the raven but it was a nice change nonetheless. Whatever worries about the synergy of the group or between friends being thrown off balance with the addition were long gone.

“I honestly thought Ren would think it’s weird I have a picture of him up. I mean, he’s my home screen background but...it’s not quite the same, you know? Having a photo up in my living room, I don’t know it’s like seeing him even though I’m not seeing him.” Souji tried to explain this, but words seemed to fail him every time.

Seta Souji and Amamiya Ren have been dating for about two years now. The first year, while rocky, had ended strong and this one seemed even better. And while the two were engaged, they weren't planning on rushing the wedding. They were preparing of course, because some things you can work on along the way, but if the time was right it was right. If not, they can wait.

Ren already made it clear he had no intention of taking off the lovely ruby on his left ring finger. He was in love with Souji, like Souji was in love with Ren.

Being apart for so long hasn't been easy, but they were making it work. Calls, texts, video chats, writing letters and sending pictures (yes, who says old fashion romantic gestures are dead?) help ease the ache caused by the distance.

The new pictures every day? Yeah, those really did help.

“Having a piece of him here all the time; it actually makes sense,” Yosuke gave his best friend/partner some credit: he was a hopeless romantic, when he wasn’t some ultimate chick magnet who’s fucking badass at darts. Everyone had ways to show someone they loved them, and boy did Souji had a lot of them!

He sends Ren sweet texts in the morning and afternoon, calls him every day and the few times Yosuke’s hung out with the two, which he luckily hasn’t felt like the third wheel yet since they usually go to the movies or the arcade or out to dinner as a trio, Ren was just as affectionate. According to Souji, Ren wasn’t so at the beginning of their love story, as he was still healing from heartbreak via a failed relationship with some guy named Akechi. He wasn’t frigid or mean, just more cautious about letting the silver-haired man have his heart.

Yosuke didn't know the whole story, but he's heard a bit from Naoto. Apparently this Akechi guy was a Prince Detective, a title she held herself. He was charming, beautiful, though there had been a lot more to him than just his television appearances and comments about the Phantom Thieves. At some point, he and Ren had crossed paths and formed a rather odd friendship. On one hand, they seemed friendly but on the other, apparently, Akechi had this intense dislike of Ren for being "perfect" or better than him. It had been a back and forth; did they trust each other? Who knows. Did they see each other as rivals? Akechi did, Ren not so much.

The raven wasn't one for confrontation. That, and sometimes he was so painfully oblivious of things that said things don't hit him until much, much, much later.

...

Moving on!

Somehow, Ren had fallen in love with Akechi. And whatever happened between them, because Yosuke didn't know and figured it was too sensitive of a topic to ask the raven directly about, resulted in Ren losing Akechi forever. That gave off the vibe that Akechi was dead, and Ren had to go through a period of mourning. But the few times Souji has brought the ex-Prince Detective up, it sounded more like Akechi just up and left despite having Ren at his side.

Ryuji, Yusuke, Ann and the others didn't seem too broken up about this, still don't. They do their very best not to mention Akechi though, for Ren's sake.

He might not never forget his first love, and that's alright. He had his true love now: Seta Souji. Maybe one day, Ren will be able to talk about Akechi without those old wounds tearing themselves open again. He did manage to let his guard down and allow himself to love again, even if it had been hard at first. Again, Amamiya Ren wasn't cold or rude or downright intolerable. He was a friendly guy at his core. Asking him to suddenly fall at Souji's feet and accept he's moved on would have been dangerous. It would have promised him to continue suffering, to resume living in pain.

Yosuke trying to picture Souji without Ren, it was hard to at this point. They've become so inseparable; the fawn-haired boy, sometimes, wondered what Ren had been like during the first few weeks to months of his relationship with Souji. If he was just as bubbly, cordial or closed off, reserved to all hell. A pretty scary thought, considering Yosuke liked the Ren he met: slightly shy, very smart and funny.

The stark contrast...what depression and loss can do to a person.

Now though, now both were just as lovey dovey as Souji’s been since the day he first met Amamiya Ren. Every smile greeted with a smile, every touch reciprocated with eagerness and warmth. Every once "goodbye" now replaced with a "see you later". And every call or text resulting in springs in one's step and good vibes all around.

Souji might have fallen for Ren at first sight, and Ren might have taken a while to get there but eventually they met each other halfway. They were happy, and Yosuke was happy for them.

Mushiness aside, the two complimented each other in ways Yosuke hasn’t seen with Souji in previous relationships. Maybe Akechi had ran off, and one day he might return. But Yosuke wasn't worried. In Ren's eyes, all he saw for Souji was love and devotion. Maybe Akechi had to leave for Souji to finally meet his soulmate, same with Ren.

Good things come to those wait. And those who've been through so much are gifted with such resilience. Whatever it is, these two are together and together they're amazing.

“I think it’s cute,” Yosuke rubbed the back of his neck. He was quick to keep the conversation going, as his little trip down the rabbit hole that was his brain might have left him silent for a little too long. “Kind of chick-flicky but cute. Long distance relationships aren’t easy to maintain, ha as if normal relationships were a walk in the park!”

“Fair point,” Souji agreed, backing up slightly to see if the picture was crooked or not. It wasn’t; good. To think he's been so focused on this. “If you had told me a year or so ago that I’d be engaged to such a smart, pretty, and funny guy that I can see myself having a home and kids with, well I would have said you’re out of your mind. I was perfectly fine with just going with the flow, existing over living but now,” he looked back at Yosuke, smiling. That smile was so big, it touched his eyes. “Now, I want nothing more than for Ren-chan to keep me on this wild ride. I don’t want to just exist anymore; I want to live, I want to enjoy life as much as possible. I have a great family, awesome friends, a decent living, and now I have the love of my life. It took some waiting but good things come to those who wait, right?”

Good things come to those who wait...heh.

“Definitely,” Yosuke nodded in agreement, crossing his arms. “And you guys are getting married here in Inaba, you know what that means!”

“Lots of steak?” Souji guessed.

“Well yeah, I think we can make it possible for Junes’ to go into catering for that one special day but I was talking about that we’re all going to have a hand in it! The cake, the venue, sure this place is boring as sin but we can make do. And Ren’s friends are coming, the more the merrier!”

“You’re surprisingly chipper over my wedding.”

“It’s my partner’s wedding; I’m best man," Yosuke stated the obvious, scoffing playfully. "And hey as best man I’m in charge of your bachelor party!” Souji's partner's eyes were shining with mischievous glee now. He definitely had something up his sleeve, when didn't he? “Get all the guys together, a little dancing and maybe some eye candy before you kiss your single days goodbye? No alcohol, we don't need you shit faced on your wedding day, but a little bit of fun out on the town I think is needed."

“The eye candy is all yours, buddy. I’m already marrying the best eye candy I’ll ever get. The dancing though, count me in. Let's have a dance party of all dance parties; see if you can beat my perfect score!” Souji’s gaze drifted back to the new picture on the wall, his heart skipping a beat. Again, Ren’s candid shots were just so angelic. How can someone be so perfect and be real at the same time?

Yosuke snickered. "And Souji's brain has left the building." He wasn't paid attention to, what a surprise.

Oh well, means Yosuke can snap a picture or two himself...! Ha!

All this scheming going on in his living room, yet Souji can only think about and see Ren's picture on the wall. One of seven new shots Ann took. One for every day of the week.

'Even with the fixed lighting, he doesn't look posed in the slightest. He just looks...like Ren.' Souji gently pressed his fingers along the edge of the photo, sighing softly.

According to Ren, he was the average one in the relationship while Souji was both beautiful and handsome. His soft maternal nature towards children, especially Nanako, his impressive cooking skills and talent in paper crane-making paired off with his sharp, chiseled features, strong leadership and his uncanny, lucky ability to say anything that would normally get someone else slapped, though not him, made him the perfect man. If someone were to ask Ren what he loved the most about Souji though, he wouldn’t provide an answer. His reasoning?

_ “I don’t answer because...well,” Ren paused, gathering the words he felt suitable in expressing his thought process. He was in the middle of serving Souji a plate of curry for dinner, as the silver-haired man was still in Tokyo for one more night. “I don’t answer because, well if I tell them why I love you then they’ll love you too and steal you away.” _

_ “I’m sorry, what?” Souji was confused by this reasoning, smiling though in spite of this. He thanked Ren for the curry and spooned some into his mouth; the spiciness didn’t bother him, to everyone else’s shock, the rice sticky and soft and the vegetables crunchy and crisp. The silver-haired man hummed his approval for a few minutes, spooning more into his mouth before recalling he and his fiance were having a conversation and that his curiosity hasn’t been satisfied yet. “What do you mean they’ll love me too?” _

_ “You are a catch, let’s be real; you decided to marry me, some average nobody with pretty much nothing but coffee and curry to his name who lives in an attic. That is an enigma. I’m still puzzled over it, and we’ve been dating for a year, engaged for two months. We've made it this far, I don't know how but I digress; you are marrying me-” _

_ “One of the best decisions I’ve ever made, by the way.” Souji politely interrupted, wiping his mouth with a napkin. He laughed when Ren slapped his arm. _

_ “As I was saying, you are marrying me and you are a real catch. You’re sensitive and sweet, funny and smart, you know how to cook, you clean, you’re great with kids, the list goes on and we don’t have all night. If I tell someone why I love you, they’ll see it and next thing you know, you’ll have fifty new fangirls. I’m not really the jealous type, but the idea of having to fight off fangirls isn’t very appealing.” Ren finished up his explanation with a failed attempt at tossing the rag he used to wipe down the counter into the sink. It bounced off the mouth and hit the floor; the raven, embarrassed, scrambled to pick it up as Souji resumed eating. _

_ “Hmm, I think that’s similar to my reasoning about why I love you.” He said finally, chewing slowly. Ren blinked. _

_ “Nani?” _

_ “You think you’re average next to me, when you’re everything but.” Souji said, looking up from his plate. “I think you’re very modest, because you could be a model. A superstar, take the world by storm because not many people have eyes like yours, or make really curly hair look so perfect and pretty. Not only that but you’re incredibly intelligent and strong-willed; you didn’t just get that from books, but life experience. You’ve been knocked down by life, more so than some people will their whole lives and you still laugh and smile. You still have hope for the future, Ren-Rei. You’re not just beautiful on the outside either; I wouldn’t have fallen in love with you if you were just a pretty face. Maybe when I was a whore still I’d be more about the pretty face, yes I sometimes was an asshole, but now...I can’t see myself with anyone else like this than with you. So as much as I love that you are modest, humble don’t say you’re average. Because you’re not. You’re amazing, in more ways than one and in more words than I can ever put together.” _

_ Ren dropped the rag again, his smooth cheeks wet with tears. He sniffled, rubbed at his red-rimmed gunmetal gray eyes before he hugged Souji over the counter. Having to get on his tiptoes just a little bit, the raven threw his arms around Souji’s shoulders, burying his face away in the soft silver hair. He closed his eyes and took a big, deep breath; he didn’t say a word in return but nodded slowly, letting his fiance know that he was listening and really listening. _

_ Ren didn’t have the best self-esteem, the factors rather numerous so these moments of Souji’s blunt, straightforward honesty, then again when wasn’t he blunt and honest, were unexpected yet secretly welcomed. Because even as Joker, Ren had troubles with self-confidence. Because even being one of the smartest kids in his class, Ren doubted his intellect. Because even with strong leadership, Ren wondered if he was right for the job. _

_ He had insecurities, much like Souji had and still fought with. The insecurity of being alone, of being left behind thus forced to go back into himself. To be cold, unmovable, unreachable. Souji still struggled with this greatest of insecurities, even if it seemed he had everything under control. He was human. Ren was human. It was human to have insecurities and flaws. _

_ It was also human to overcome those insecurities and flaws over time with the right support. _

_ Ren was still broken, but so was Souji. And they weren’t trying to fix the other in the heart of this. They were merely trying to bring out the best in each other, to be the best version of themselves. For their families, friends and each other. _

_ Sometimes two people come together, broken and in pain, and somehow, somehow create a foundation that can withstand the most violent of storms. _

_ That can happen, believe it or not. _

_ “This is why I don’t tell people why I love you,” Ren used this moment of vulnerability to drive his point from earlier home, pulling away with a soft smile. “I want to keep that a secret.” _

_ Souji rolled his eyes fondly, pressing their foreheads together. “Our secret,” he caved in at last, stealing a quick kiss from Ren’s lips. _

“I really hope when we have a little one, or two or three, that Ren-chan doesn’t mind that they take more after him.” Souji whispered, Yosuke able to hear him as he was half a foot away. His partner was partially back, addressing Yosuke while still caressing the photo on the wall.

The fawn-haired boy closed the distance slightly, resting an arm on Souji's shoulder. He took a deep breath through his nose, humming. "Are you sure about that, dude? Because if your kid comes out looking like Ren, he or she is going break hearts everywhere they go!"

"Haha, oh we'd teach them to let people down gently. Maybe you're right though..."

'Dude, I am right.' Yosuke thought with a soft roll of his eyes. 'I'm not into dudes, don't swing that way but I'm not blind either.' He looked back at the picture.

Amamiya Ren in a black turtleneck, relaxed dark blue jeans and light brown boots. In LeBlanc, early evening, gray coat in his lap while he nursed a cup of coffee. Glasses hanging off the front of his turtleneck, cheeks flushed and hair, somehow, messier than normal. He was smiling over the rim of his cup, gunmetal gray eyes sparkling under the cafe lights. His posture wasn’t stiff, posed. He was in his element, content. No makeup, no touch ups. Just Ren.

Just Ren was cute. Just Ren was funny. Just Ren could be a little dense, but meant well.

And just Ren was who Souji was happy with waiting for. Even if there’s months still between the next time they see each other. Even if they can’t hold and kiss each other to their content. They were happy waiting for each other. They were happy.

“I’m sure if you give him a solid case, he might consider it.” Yosuke further elaborated on his reply to Souji, even if the inquiry wasn’t for him or meant to be answered period.

“Ha, I hope so.” Souji rubbed the back of his neck, seeming shy all of a sudden.

“Umm, you okay?”

“Yeah, you hungry now by the way? I went grocery shopping today.”


	5. ~Past will tell You when to make Yourself a Hero~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~Ann and Ren have a talk, recalling Ren and Souji's first break up, and what Ren thanks Akechi for every day.~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~A little hurt and comfort, but sometimes that is enough to remind a person that there is more to life than just pain and sadness...~

“So you’re wearing a dress.” Ann said, impatiently awaiting confirmation. She tapped the heel of her shoe against the wooden floor in some bizarre yet addicting rhythm. Ren sighed, smiling slightly.

“Hai, I’m wearing a wedding dress. And a more Western-inspired wedding dress, yes.” He replied, nodding once as he finished putting away his now completed homework. He winced when Ann let out a sharp squeal, clapping her hands together and hopping up and down slightly on his bed.

“Great, that will be my area of expertise then! With my eye, the perfect dress will be easy to spot; we should make a few notes, like your preferences in style, color. Not to mention the budget, as wedding dresses are everything but cheap." Ann whipped out her phone and began typing fiercely. Ren blinked behind his thick glasses. 

“You do know we’re not getting married right now, right? We’re waiting at least a year or two more.” Ren had graduation and university entrance exams to worry about, not to mention him and Souji moving to Inaba and Souji trying to look for a third job.

A third job. Ren was happy he's already heard back from some places he's applied to in Inaba over the last few months; no way he was going to let his husband wear himself thin. They were in this together, and Ren had no problem with working and studying at the same time. 'Even if Souji offers to support me, if we want a functioning home and kids in the picture...I have to give it my all!'

“You should still plan, Ren!" Ann exclaimed, bring the raven out of his thoughts. "Even if it’s the little things like wedding invitations-”

“We are working on that, don't worry.” Ren tried to placate the blonde, but ultimately to no avail.

“Have some idea for the food that will be served, the cake and what flavor you want it to be,” Ann seemingly ignored Ren's "comfort" to go on and list every possible factor into achieving the perfect wedding day, having to double count on her fingers. Ren quickly became pale-faced, shoulders slumping.

He loved Ann, he really did but...even Nao-san wasn't this analytical in wedding preparations. She understood they were still young, that an engagement can last as long as both parties desired. They were taking small steps, but at the moment Ren's upcoming graduation and Souji working through this last semester were more important.

“Ann, Ann please calm down.” He pleaded, taking her hands in his. “I’m aware there’s a lot that goes into this, believe me. I’ve had this conversation with Souji more times than I’d like to admit,” Ren took a deep breath, biting his lower lip. "I've talked a lot of things over with Souji, not just the wedding itself..."

“You have? Wait, are you having second thoughts?” The blonde's sparkling blue eyes dimmed, and worry began to gnaw at her heart. It didn't go away so easily even when Ren smiled at her as if she was crazy.

“Far from that. Sometimes my insecurities just come up and I freak out and he has to talk me down, but it's not as bad as it sounds really.” Ren admitted, soon plopping down on his bed next to her. Ann blinked, raised a trimmed brow in his direction; she gently brushed a few stray curls from his face, humming.

“Insecurities?” Ann parroted. She knew Amamiya Ren was human, with flaws and worries and concerns of his own but insecurities? That seemed so far-fetched. He was everything but insecure most of the time!

...Huh, maybe he was like that for the others. So they wouldn't worry about him.

'But Souji's his fiance,' Ann reasoned, 'He wouldn't be able to hide anything from him for long.' She blinked and refocused her attention on the raven as he began speaking again.

“Yeah, like how can he be with me with how fucked up I am with the nightmares about the interrogation room, that sometimes I get scared of getting too close to him because of what happened with Goro…” Ren bit his tongue, to keep himself from saying more. He's gotten better at mentioning the shaggy-haired boy in passing, but it still ached nonetheless. The memory, and pain, was still agonizingly fresh. He looked away, not wanting to see the sympathy in Ann’s blue eyes. “...Did you know I broke up with Souji, like three times in the first year we started dating?”

“You what?” Ann’s shoulders jumped as she swallowed hard at the news, now hovering over Ren. “You broke up with him? Three times??” She softened her tone when she noticed that the raven winced again, taking a proper seat next to him again. She shouldn't be too surprised, and so insensitive on top of that. Even if Ann didn't understand why, or how, Ren loved Akechi once didn't mean she couldn't pretend it didn't happen. That it didn't happen and didn't leave scars behind. “Gomen nasai, I didn’t mean to...why did you break up with him? And why didn’t you tell us??” Ann measured her tone carefully this time around, giving Ren a sweet smile.

The raven sighed, closed his eyes the color of gunmetal. He took a deep breath.

“I didn’t tell you guys because, well...because the first two to three months into our relationship I was still on the ‘This won’t last long’ train. With the long-distance and my problems, I assumed eventually he’d get tired of me and call it off. When Souji didn’t, and I noticed I liked being around him I kind of freaked out and broke up with him over video chat.” Ren grabbed his pillow and placed it over his face.

"Ren..."

“I know, a terrible thing to do. Especially shortly after he tells me that he’s thinking about visiting Tokyo again, though this time it was to see me and not because he was getting a bouquet together for Nana-chan.” The raven sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes and pressing his pillow to his chest now. “I had a bad dream the night before, the interrogation room; what a surprise right, haha and I was panicking because in my dream...just before Akechi shoots me, n-not really me but still me, just before that happens Souji comes in. I don’t know how, but he does and stops him. I never see how he gets in, just how he stops him…”

“If I could, I'd take that bad dream away from you forever...” Ann carefully looped her arm around Ren’s, and wiped at his cheeks when she saw traces of wet beginning to form. The raven nodded. He was glad she was here.

Talking about this, one day it will be a cakewalk but for now he needed the extra support.

“At first I thought it was a fluke, but it kept happening again and again and...and I didn’t mind it and that scared me so I...I broke up with him. I felt like shit as soon as the words left my mouth.”

_Ren’s tongue felt like lead now. His eyes were wide, and his heart felt as if it made the rocky trip to his stomach in one swift, fell swoop._

_‘Did I really just say that…?!’_

_“You...you want to break up?” Seta Souji’s eyes lost their luster in the span of thirty seconds, and the playful, warm smile on his lips transformed into an empty, cold frown. Ren swallowed hard, pressed a hand over his mouth. “Can I ask why?”_

_‘I don’t even know how I got those words out to begin with!’ The raven was internally panicking, shaking so badly he had to collapse into his desk chair or risk suffering an episode on the floor. He balled up his hands into fists, took a deep breath. “B-because this isn’t going to go anywhere, Souji-san. Don't you see?! I’m messed up; I have nightmares about something that happened months ago, I-I thought I found the love of my life, yeah at seventeen I know I’m a fucking walking young adult novel cliche, only for him to be...and you’re in I-Inaba, Souji-san. You're in Inaba. I’m here, you’re there; how the hell can we make this work? How do I know you won’t get sick of waiting and end up falling for someone else? Because you can, look at you! You’re amazing and I’m over here and…” Ren almost ripped off his glasses as he started to rub his eyes, trying yet failing to will away the tears. “We’ve been seeing each other for the last two months; September was fucking hard, saying goodbye to you and it’s really starting to hit right now. I...I had the interrogation room nightmare again.”_

_“They hurt you again,” Souji’s expression read anger now, but not directed towards Ren. He swallowed hard, “Those bastards, how Shido could do such a thing!”_

_“T-they beat me, yelled at me, spat on me...and then Akechi came in, with the gun,” Ren bit his lower lip, his eyes puffy and red now. “I feel it, the coolness of the metal and I know what he’s saying but this time I can’t hear him. I can’t hear him over the pounding of my heart, I can’t look away.” The raven ducked his head._

_“Ren, you don’t have to-”_

_“Before he shoots me though, y-you come in!” Ren exclaimed, snot dripping down his nose. He probably looked pathetic right now, but surprisingly he was fine with being this vulnerable with Souji. “You come in, and you stop him. How I don’t know, I never get to see and I don’t know how the hell you knew how to get in there but you were there. You stop him before he pulls the trigger. It wasn’t really me, but I still felt scared and terrified and betrayed but you stopped it.”_

_Souji’s own eyes were wet, the tears silently streaming down his cheeks._

_“I...I loved him, Souji. I loved Goro like I haven’t loved anyone in a very long time. I thought he was the one, I was so sure.” Ren rubbed at his eyes again. It hurt a little to say this, since he knew how Souji felt about him but honesty was the best policy. The raven couldn't hide this forever. He continued, gulping down air._

_“I believed it, I believed in love again only for it to bite me in the ass. And I still love him, a part of me always will but then I look at you!” The raven gritted his teeth, slowly lifted his head to see that lovely face on the screen once again. “I remember how we met: flower shop, evening shift and how you gave me a red Orizuru as thanks for helping you with Nanako’s bouquet. It was so simple, but one of the sweetest things anyone’s ever done for me. I thought I would never see you again, only for you to bring me food a week later! Food you made, by hand! And the talk we had afterwards, I was nothing but smiles and laughter. I was laughing from the gut.” Despite his sobs, Ren’s lips pulled upwards. “It was great, to feel so light and free...so painless. I thought it was nice but wouldn’t last, like my time with Goro. The weeks passed, before I knew it a month had gone by and you were still here. With me, with my friends. Yes, you went back home but you never felt too far away. The texts, the calls, they made the distance feel so small. It wasn’t long before I realized I...I was starting to feel something for you.”_

_Souji remained silent, listening carefully. Ren wrapped his arms around himself, though not because he was cold. He took in a deep, yet shaky, breath._

_“A few days before you had to leave, you were with me and my friends at LeBlanc. We were just sitting around talking, drinking coffee and...I noticed how close we were sitting, ha I was almost in your lap with how close we were! Our arms touched, and when you looked at me I couldn’t help smiling. You smiled back; that smile you gave me, it was different. It was bigger, broader than the one you gave Makoto or Ryuji when you were talking with them. It was bigger but it felt like it was only meant for me. And that sent my heart running a marathon. The idea that you had a smile just for me, something only I would get to see. T-that’s when I realized that I was falling for you. After a month and a half, when I thought of Akechi it didn’t hurt as much. I didn’t dream about the interrogation room as much, in fact I started dreaming about Inaba. What it would be like to spend a day or two there with you, with Yosuke and Chie and Kanji and everyone else. I started changing, inside. And when you left, it broke my heart!”_

_“I’m so sorry, Ren-chan.”_

_“Don’t! Don’t be, don’t ever apologize for your actions. I didn’t know then, that you felt that strongly even with the signs there. I was an idiot, to not see them and to not see what I was feeling. I was so scared I chose to blind myself but that’s not right, not fair to you or me!” Ren cut Souji off. “I was starting to fall in love with you towards the end of month one, two made it worse and here I am, calling it off over video chat because I’m an asshole. You probably thought it was something you did, and it isn’t. It’s what you didn’t do: you didn’t leave me, you didn’t break my heart. I said ‘Goodbye’ and you said ‘See you later’ instead. That was your way of letting me know this wasn’t just a fling for you.”_

_“Even if we don’t live in the same city, even if we’re miles apart...Ren, there’s no one else.” Souji whispered sweetly, gently touching his screen. Ren copied him, his other hand buried in his curly, black hair. “I’ve been thinking about you nonstop since the first day, since I got back. Believe me if I could stay I would have; getting on that train, watching you wave and smile almost broke me. This isn’t easy, I know. Sometimes I wonder how you do it.”_

_“N-Nani?”_

_“You balance so much in life, Ren-Rei. School, work, Phantom Thievery, friends and family...and you’re beautiful, inside and out. How you decided I was worthy of you I don’t know,” Souji said this with a tiny laugh, never looking away from Ren. “But you did. You chose me and you made me the happiest guy on Earth choosing me. I know it’s hard, being apart for very long stretches of time. I know that texts and video calls aren’t the same. And I know that Akechi hurt you, even though deep down I believe he really loved you, really did he still hurt you. I know that scares you, that it left you unsure how to trust. I know you still have nightmares, doubts. I know all of this. So I want you to know something.”_

_“...?” Ren didn’t say anything, but he nodded his head. Souji has heard him out, it was only fair for the raven to return the favor._

_“...I am going to wait for you, no matter how long it takes. December will pass, winter will leave and spring will be here. Spring, the season we met. Maybe a year or more will pass and I don’t see you. Maybe time will put a wedge between us and I don’t know how you are, where you are...but that won’t stop me, Ren! I will be there for you, as your friend, your lover, however you want me I’ll be there. A lot of factors might get in the way, but I think...I think what I feel for you is stronger than any of those things. What I feel for you is much stronger, I know it so I’ll wait. I’ll wait for you, for us as long as it takes.”_

_“Souji-koi…”_

_“I know I’m in love with you, Amamiya Ren.” Souji declared, taking a deep breath through his nose, lips in a thin line. “I’ve loved you since the first day we met. It just clicked for me, right then and there. I didn’t know anything about you but I loved you, and that motivated me to get to know you better. And doing so has only made me love you more, haha! I love you and I will wait for you, as long as it takes! You are worth it; doesn’t matter if you’re broken, I am too. It doesn’t matter if you trip and fall, I’ll be there to pick you back up. These months will fly by and before you know it, I’ll be in front of you. I’ll be there in person, Ren, for you. I love you, and I will wait for you.”_

_“...” Ren’s tears were back with a vengeance, but this time they were tears of joy. He nodded his head again, hands clasped tightly against his chest. "Souji...!"_

_"I love you, Ren."_

_"B-baka, hahaha! I love you too! I love you!"_

"Ren..."

Ren wiped away a stray tear, smiling even if the memory was slightly sad. “Maybe it was then I knew I was in love with him.” He whispered, Ann wiping at her own eyes. “Even if I denied it to myself, I was in love with Souji. I realized it then; I looked forward to these months winding down, and when it got to be too much I reminded myself that I was willing to wait. That I could wait too; what I was feeling, it could survive anything as long as I believed it. That didn’t stop me from breaking up with him two more times that year, ha...but even when we were apart, when those breakups lasted a week or two, I always thought about him. I wondered how he was, how Dojima-sama and Nana-chan were doing. I thought that he would forget me, but he never did. The months passed and when we were back together…”

“You were so happy…!” Ann was smiling and nodding, pressing her forehead against Ren’s shoulder. "Even when you had a moment or three of faulty judgement, you kicked yourself in the ass and realized you could be happy if you listened to your heart. This has been hard, I know that now, but you deserve this, Ren. You deserve happiness, love and I'm happy Souji-kun has given you that and more."

Ren giggled in spite of the tightness in his chest. He cleared his throat, gathered his thoughts as best as he could.

“I’ll never stop loving Goro. I’ll never forget him...but, but I think I thank him every day for what happened. Even if before I wouldn’t have, now I do. It took meeting him, loving him and it all ending for me to find Souji. I kept Souji waiting, even if he didn’t know who I was at the time but it was worth it. It was worth finding him, looking for him. Waiting for him. I wouldn’t have found Souji if not for Goro,” Ren rested his head against Ann’s, closing his eyes. “It hurt like fucking hell, but hey what doesn’t hurt that’s worth it?”

"Oh, Ren..."

"I love him, Ann-chan. I love Seta Souji."


	6. ~Your Affection, Your Affection, Your Affection~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~Small and silly moments like these make it all worthwhile...
> 
> Souji's in a skirt, Ren's in a skirt. I think that's all that needs to be said, really.
> 
> Ryuji, Futaba, Ann, and Morgana are here because they're awesome. I will do my best to include the other Thieves and members of the Investigation Team in later updates; picking the right scenario requires a careful eye.
> 
> Since "Yuko" is what Yu can be called when dressed as a girl, I went with "Sei" for Souji. This isn't canon though, as far as I'm aware. I haven't gotten that far in the manga yet.
> 
> Fluff, fluff, and fluff.~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~I want to write more Izanagi/Arsene moments, I have a few ideas but they need to be further fleshed out.
> 
> In the mean time, enjoy more Souji/Ren.
> 
> I'm usually not a fan of mostly fluff works, but I assume these two bring out the best of it in me. Enjoy.~

“Ren-Rei, what are you wearing?” Souji asked one sunny morning, pewter gray eyes wide as dinner plates. He was pretty sure said eyes would have rolled out of his skull too, if he hadn’t tilted his head back and took a deep breath. He had today off from classes, and thought to call Ren before he went off to school.

You’d think this would just be a normal, usual “Good Morning!” phone call. And normally they were: the typical greetings, air kisses and small talk before promising to call again later on in the afternoon. That's what normally occurred, too.

...But yeah, yeah normal isn’t exactly something you’d immediately associate with the likes of Amamiya Ren and Seta Souji.

Exhibit A! Starting right now...!

“I lost a bet with Futaba, so I’ll be wearing this to school tomorrow.” Ren sighed, smoothing the hem of the skirt once again. There was a little too much air circulating down there, if you know what I mean, but there was very little the raven could do in that respect. Sure he had shorts underneath, but the protection still felt very thin. And elt's not forget that was the only explanation he was giving as to why he was donning a skirt.

Now that I think about it, how do girls wear these again? How do they handle it?? Ren felt mortified, but a budding bud of respect was blooming in his heart even with that. His admiration for Ann, Chie, Yukiko, and the other beautiful, intelligent women in his life just went up by several notches. 

“What was the bet about?” Souji asked. It was no secret that Futaba and Ren showed their brotherly-sisterly love towards each other via pranks and bets. That wasn’t what caught Souji off guard though, not in the slightest; he simply never expected the ginger-haired girl to take a bet this far. A skirt? That was new. It must have been pretty major.

Enjoying the sight aside because of course Souji would enjoy seeing his fiance in a skirt, Futaba’s really stepped up her game!

“That is irrelevant, my love,” Ren batted away the question as he fixed the collar of the short-sleeved, white shirt splayed out on his bed. It didn’t look much different from the ones he wore to school, apart from the size.

And how it seemed tighter around the chest area.

Ren checked for any wrinkles before finally deciding to slip it on, to make sure it actually fit (because it didn't look like it did), suspenders dangling like infinity hoops at his hips. “I like the suspenders, but will they really stay up? I mean I’m flat chested, there’s nothing I can really do about that…”

‘That’s a woman’s shirt. He’s wearing the female equivalent of his school uniform, to school.’ Souji’s brain must be really, really fried. All this studying and back to back work shifts were slowly killing him. I mean, should he really be enjoying seeing Ren in a skirt this much, when he seemed a little distressed by the whole thing? No, no he shouldn’t...but he was, still was. “Okay, so the bet doesn’t matter but you’re going through with it anyway.” Amamiya Ren logic going on here.

“A deal’s a deal,” The raven grimaced. “And I have to do something with my hair too…” Souji has to hand it to Ren; most guys would fake an injury or sickness to get out of this. He was distressed but taking it in stride, considering every element to make it as comfortable as possible for himself. He was the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts for a reason. His fiance was a force to be reckoned with!

“So you’re Amamiya Rei instead of Ren tomorrow? Because I think Rei is more for girls…”

“Your nickname comes in handy for the first time ever, wonderful.” Despite his distress, Ren gave Souji a sweet smile. The silver-haired man’s sense of humor coming in to save the day, as always. The raven needed that, especially right now. No matter what it was, Souji saw the silver lining. His optimism balanced out Ren's occasional pessimistic view on the world.

Souji grinned. “How about we make this fun?” He mused, sitting proper in his seat.

...Ren thought too soon. Oh no, what could his crazy, shameless lover be cooking up this time?

The frizzy-haired boy stopped what he was doing to eye his fiance warily. One suspender over one shoulder, the other slightly swaying back and forth; swag. “Your definition of fun is not always fun for me.” He stated, having to set his hands on his hips because this blasted article didn’t have any pockets.

“I’ll dress up with you, I’ll go as...hmm, how about 'Sei'?” Souji was on his feet a few seconds later, walking over to his closet and soon digging around within its contents. “I’m pretty sure it’s in here somewhere…! I know I packed it, even when Yosuke tried to stuff it in the “dump” box I had set up.”

Ren blinked. “That doesn’t have any letters in your real name, well apart from the S,” he pointed out, “And what are you talking about? A “dump” box? Do you mean when you were in the process of moving?”

“There’s the S like you said, and hey they sort of rhyme. That counts for something, right? I still have that wig I had to wear for the show, and I think I know how to do makeup decently now.” Souji replied with his back to Ren, humming softly. “And to answer your last question, yes I had a “dump” box and a “keep” box when I was in the process of homemaking. What I wanted to keep I kept, what I didn't, I donated. Yosuke tried to sneak it in but I caught him.”

“You’re really considering this.” Ren said slowly, fixing his glasses and biting his lower lip. His legs felt like jelly under him, so he plopped down on his bed. He made sure to cross his legs tightly; again, he was wearing shorts under the skirt but still felt a little too exposed nonetheless.

Again, how do girls wear these?!

“Think of it this way: we are both into dressing up in women’s clothing. We just haven’t done it together, this could be a precious memory just begging to be made!” Seemingly having found what he was looking for, the silver-haired man was facing Ren once again, tossing his findings onto his bed.

“Or you just want an excuse to see me in a skirt. And get away with wearing one yourself.” Ren deadpanned. He scowled when Souji’s grin broadened; this sweet, sexy bastard.

Why was Ren marrying him again? Oh right, he’s in love with him.

Dumbass...

“You do have the legs for it.” Souji pointed out, starting to strip out of his pajamas. He really was shameless, and he and Ren have seen each other naked before so this was tamed compared to some nights.

Particularly the first nights whenever Souji or Ren stayed over at the other’s home...

“Baka.” Ren had to insult, to mask the fact that Souji dressing up like a girl along with him was actually kind of a sweet gesture. Silly, oh so very silly but still sweet.

“Love you too.” Souji blew the now flustered raven a chaste kiss, kicking his sweatpants off to the side.

* * *

“Okay, I’m ready.” Ren’s face was on fire, arms crossed tightly over his chest. He subconsciously tugged at the hem of his skirt again; that will probably carry on for the rest of the day honestly, eyes everywhere but on Ryuji and Futaba. “Well? What’s the damage?”

“If you were really a girl, aw man I'd-” Sakamoto Ryuji cut himself off when Sakura Futaba snickered as she lounged lazily on Ren’s bed, his own face a tomato now. He rubbed at his nose, though it was more to check if blood was dripping down his chin or not. The ginger-haired girl’s glee had brought him back to reality, luckily. “I-I mean, let’s just go already!! For reals, this is so messed up.”

Ren took a deep breath. He pulled out his phone and glanced at his reflection in the dark screen. He’s going in the getup, he was the ultimate judge right?

...Let’s see the damage.

…?!

  
  


His hair was short, so very little could be done with it. Futaba managed to get her hands on some red ribbons, the same shade of red as his gloves in the Metaverse, and wove them into his hair. One ribbon was lower than the other three, gently twisting and twirling with every shift. The curls that normally fell over his eyes were pinned back by thin, black bobby pins.

Something the raven thought would look terrible but apparently not. And to see his face fully was kind of a big change; his cheeks felt naked without his frizzy, messy curls to keep them warm.

Ren’s face remained mostly untouched, because does he really need makeup to look more beautiful? His face was more visible and his glasses were off, since he didn’t need them to see in the first place, so yes makeup-less should suffice. The raven’s chest was slightly accentuated due to the more “form-fitting”-ness of the plain, white button-up shirt with the top two buttons undone. The plaid skirt was tugged at from time to time by thin, pale hands, though luckily the suspenders stayed in place. Ren’s knee-length socks were the same shade of red as the ribbons in his hair, his bag slung over one shoulder like normal.

He...he actually looked pretty good. He made a pretty girl!

Look out world, Amamiya Rei is coming for ya!

Ryuji’s flushed cheeks and Morgana’s playful purr of approval were strong enough indicators of this. Paired off with Futaba’s snickering and Ren’s own impressed, surprised grin, this was running out to be a not-so bad idea after all.

“You take bets way too seriously.” The blue-eyed feline’s gaze was smug, amused. He let out a yawn. “And here I thought your Joker getup was flashy!”

“It’s part of who I am. I never back down from a challenge!” Ren exclaimed, balling his hand into a fist with pride. “And you think this is flashy? I don’t know…” The raven perched himself momentarily on the couch; the skirt rode up a bit, flashing more thigh. “Souji-koi was right, I have killer legs-”

“Dude, chill will ya?” Ryuji sweat dropped, blinking his caramel brown eyes when suddenly Ren’s phone went off, “Who’s calling this early? Ann needs to calm down, we’re on our way sheesh!” He assumed it was the model blonde, probably nagging for pictures. Why though, when she was in Ren’s class? She’ll see him all day!

Girls.

“It’s Souji.” Ren replied, now giddy in spite of his situation. Seeing his fiance’s handsome, beaming face before school always pepped him up. He slid his finger across the screen, enabling video chat and putting his fiance on speaker. “Good morning, honey! Sleep well?”

‘Sap,’ Futaba thought with a fond shake of her head. Her lips pulled up into a smile though, upon hearing Souji’s just as eager and energetic reply.

**“Wow, look at that fine lady! So beautiful, I’m afraid I’ll go blind if I gaze upon your marvelous for too long, Ren-Rei.”** Souji greeted with relish, laughing out loud when Ren’s jaw suddenly dropped. 

“Ren-Ren?” Ryuji poked the raven in the side. “Ren-Ren, what’s up?”

“You son of a bitch.” Ren declared, narrowing his eyes as he glared at the screen. He was still smiling though, so what’s the issue?

**“You thought I was kidding, right?”**

“You’re going in a skirt to classes today too?!”

“Wait, wait, wait what?!” Ryuji exclaimed, shoulder pressing against the raven’s as he squeezed into the rectangular-shaped line of sight. His eyebrows disappeared into his hairline before he was bursting out laughing, having to hold on to Ren to keep from collapsing. “Holy shit, you two are so damn insane!”

Souji just shrugged and smiled, seemingly unbothered by Ryuji’s reaction. Standing in the middle of his bedroom was Seta Souji. Standing in the middle of his bedroom was Seta Souji, wearing an old school uniform instead of the usual white button-up shirt and pressed beige slacks he wore when attending classes.

Standing in the middle of his bedroom was Seta Souji, in the old Yasogami High School uniform he wore once. Once, when he, Yosuke, Kanji and Teddi cross dressed as girls for a school festival beauty pageant.

He...he still owned that. He kept that, years after graduating from Yasogami and leaving Inaba (before going back to live there permanently). And apparently he was going to go to his university classes, and work in that today. He was going dressed as a girl, as Seta Sei, in some bizarre display of solidarity towards Ren. Because since Ren was going as a girl to school today, apparently so was Souji!

Souji...oh Seta Souji!

He truly had no shame.

“Is he wearing a wig too?!” Morgana made his presence known once again by letting out an amused purr, eyes resembling diamonds from the sheer delight he was getting from Ren’s dork of a fiance, cozy inside the raven’s bag.

“He has to be, no way his hair’s gotten that long in just a few months. Just no way,” Ryuji insisted, once he had calmed down from his laughing fit. “And dude, you’re marrying him! This is your future husband.”

“Ryu?”

“Ren-Ren?”

“Shut up.”

* * *

“We’re getting stared at,” Ann said with a touch of elation, her soft pigtails bouncing with every step she took.

“And just when I thought I was over the whispers too,” Ren claimed with a dramatic sigh, holding back a smile when Yuuki blushed as he winked in his general direction. Ryuji scoffed.

“Dude, you’re enjoying the attention. Admit it! Everyone’s looking at us, and I’m pretty sure some of the guys around here are too busy staring at your ass to realize you’re not some new girl!”

“You always call me a drama queen, but doesn’t this stroke your own ego?” Ren asked, flirtatiously slapping Ryuji on the butt.

“D-dude!”

“Look at the bright side: some people might think you have game with two pretty girls walking with you,” Morgana pointed out, keeping his head low, “Even if one of them isn’t really a girl.”

“And he’s not the only one, since a certain someone in Inaba is looking really pretty today too.” Ann gently nudged Ren in the side. “That’s a real man, you know.”

“A real man isn’t afraid to wear a skirt?”

“That, and a real man suffers alongside his man or woman. It’s in the vows: ‘In sickness and in health’.”

“Not the same thing, Ann!” Ryuji exclaimed.

“Close enough, and calm the hell down already. We’re here, Ren’s going through with it. Enjoy the attention before everyone realizes he’s too good for you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Burn!” Morgana praised his lady Ann’s backhanded compliment. Ren tried yet failed to contain his snickers at this, holding his hands up in the universal surrender pose when Ryuji eyed him harshly.

“It was a pretty good burn.”

“Ren-Ren!” Ryuji whined.

* * *

“You know, I don’t think I will ever pull off long skirts like you. Or high rise skirts, that’s both long and high rise!” Ren exclaimed with a soft snort, taking a few minutes from lunch to video chat with Souji. “Have you gotten hit on today yet?”

“Here and there, though I think I want to hit on the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen right now.” Souji replied with a light shrug, leaning against a wall.

“Rise-san?”

“She’s beautiful but not my fiance.”

“I’m sure fiance refers to male while fiancee is female.”

“Smartass.”

“Nice ass,” Ren shot back with a smirk. Souji laughed.

“You do have a nice ass.” He agreed. The raven hummed.

“So do you, honey. And I’ll be honest, I kind of like the long hair on you. The braids are really attractive.”

“My braids turn you on?” The silver-haired “girl” wagged “her” eyebrows at Ren. It was both surprisingly seductive and immensely silly to witness.

“You look good, ‘Sei’. If I wasn’t happily engaged, I’d definitely ask you out on a date.”

“You’re taken? No way!” "Sei" looked heartbroken, pressing a hand to "her" chest. “What sexy lady snatched you up before I could?”

“Sexy man, actually.” "Rei" replied with a quick air kiss. “Proud bisexual, you know?”

“Is he open to a threesome?”

“Fuck no, I don’t share what’s mine. I steal what’s mine and keep it.” The raven rolled "her" eyes, pouting. “I wouldn’t let him...mine.”

“Good to know he’s taken forever,” "Sei" whispered softly, “I think he probably basks in that fact.”

“I know I do. I belong to him, but he doesn’t treat me as a possession or prize. He just treats me like me.” "Rei" admitted, gently tugging at one of the ribbons in "her" hair. “He’s sweet, sexy, funny, smart. I don’t know how I got him but I did, and I want him forever. Hence why I’m tying the knot with him.”

“You found your soulmate?”

“I think...no, he isn’t my soulmate but we’re tied together by something. If it isn’t the Red String of Fate, maybe blue. A Blue String of Hope. We were brought together for a reason; I might have blinded myself to the truth at first, but now I’m seeing clearly. He might not be my soulmate, but he is the love of my life. Not my first, but definitely the one I want.” The raven cleared "her" throat, “Who I dream about, who I wish I can always be with and around all the time. And I will, I just have to be patient for a little bit longer. Good things do come to those who wait. I made him wait, it’s only fair I wait for him.”

“And if you didn’t?”

“Eh?” "Rei" was back to being Ren, the not-so-female raven with gunmetal gray eyes staring at his in-drag fiance. “What do you mean, I won’t see you until graduation.”

“I mean, a lot of things can happen,” "Sei" was back to being Souji, pushing off the wall he was leaning against and walking forward in an unclear direction. 

“Hai, I’m aware but what are you trying to get at?” Ren asked, mindlessly walking outside at this point to keep himself busy. “Souji, what is going on?”

“I’m 'Sei', remember? Or did you already forget about me, 'Rei'-chan?”

“...?!” Ren almost lost his grip on his phone as he twirled about on the heel of his foot, the ribbons in his hair bouncing off his cheeks.

There stood Seta Souji, or Seta "Sei", with "her" hands on "her" hips. There, in all of "her" glory: long, black high skirt that didn’t conceal "her" sharp yet still soft curves, the matching long-sleeved top hugging "her" arms and the bright yellow, loose necktie blowing in the light breeze. "Sei" pocketed "her" phone to play with an intricate, soft-looking silver braid, "her" brown shoes shiny under the warm sun. Unlike "Rei", "Sei" wore thin black tights, and was sporting "her" glasses today.

“S...S-Souji.”

“'Sei',” Souji insisted with a light whine, and before Ren knew it he was in his lover’s arms with a pair of thin, warm lips against the skin of his forehead. The raven melted almost immediately, placing a hand to the back of Souji’s head. The silver-haired "woman" was silenced, the noise of confusion swallowed by Ren’s lips as he, "she", kissed "her" something fierce. Throwing caution to the wind, not giving a damn the raven let "her" eyes flutter shut as "she" deepened the kiss, arms thrown around the taller’s neck.

"Sei" folded "her" arms around "Rei"s’ waist, cheeks flushed pink. Heart pounding, blood boiling pleasantly below the skin, and head spinning with nothing but thoughts of a happy "Rei". Of "Rei" being so surprised yet so happy to see "Sei", that words weren’t enough to express such happiness.

To passing by Shujin Academy students either milling around during lunch as well or off back to their classrooms, all they saw were two girls making out in the courtyard. Two girls, one clearly from another school judging by her uniform, kissing like as if they separated for just a second the world would cease to spin. Two girls making out in the courtyard, one of them sporting a rather nice ring on her left ring finger. If one took a closer look, they would deduce it was an...an engagement ring.

And the engagement ring had a black gold body, thin with an intricate clubs and hearts design. The accent stones were diamonds, five on either side. The center stone was a finely cut ruby, big but not too big; and instead of inside the ring, the engraving was on the outside and written in gold: _“Love is a misunderstanding between two fools.”_

A quote coined by Oscar Wilde. The two girls…

“Who gets engaged right before graduation?”

“Who is the girl with the braids? She’s tall!”

“That girl with the black hair, she’s kind of cute…”

“She’s taken, dude! Don’t you see the ring?”

“Wait, is she new here?”

“I’ve never seen her before. Her legs are so pretty!”

“And she’s with that stick in the mud? Look at her skirt!”

“Don’t be so mean, maybe that’s just how the uniform is.”

“So they’re dating?”

“I think they’re engaged, again the ring!”

“Wait, that girl looks a lot like that transfer student we got a year ago!”

“Crazy Amamiya?”

“Wait, if that’s him then is that other girl really a girl?!”

“People are so weird…”

The whispers, the heated conversations and unnecessary comments rolled off Ren’s back even as some were spoken in such loud, sharp tones. His mind wasn’t on the whispers, conversations and comments. His mind wasn’t on the internal judgments everyone was making but not voicing, either out of fear or polite two-faced-ness. His mind wasn’t even at school anymore.

Ren’s mind was home. Home was LeBlanc in many aspects at this point sure, and so was his biological parents’ home in Osaka. But home didn’t always have to be a physical object; a place one can enter through a door and explore many, many rooms. No, home can be a person. A person that makes you forget a few of your troubles, even if it’s only for a little while. Home can be someone who knows you inside and out, and is equipped to help you deal with the demons trying to pull you under into a sea of anger or loneliness. Home can be a face that reminds you that you can keep going, even when times were tough.

Ren was home. He was home because Souji was here. How he got here and when he made such preparations to arrive were irrelevant at the moment. Souji was here, Ren was home.

They were home, because home was wherever they were together.


	7. ~Turning Misery into Meaningfulness, Changing Day after Day~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~Both Amamiya Ren and Seta Souji have come from rather...unstable homes. But does that really mean they will be unable to set an example together for a possible future generation?
> 
> Was that a daydream? A vision? A tease from Fate herself?
> 
> Both are clueless, but both are lovable all the same.~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Flower crowns, Nanako, and Arsene and Izanagi's married couple banter.
> 
> Could this be hinting at either a future installment or brand new piece down the line...?
> 
> I'm not sure, I just wrote and this is what became of the free write.
> 
> But Nanako is in this, cute Nanako and Ren bonding because she is precious and dear and every possible love interest of Souji/Yu's must pass the Nana Test.
> 
> ...And alright, in my current playthrough of Persona 4 Golden, Yu (this was before Seta Souji was growing on me) works at the daycare center. I just love the soft, gentle and maternal angle this job gives him.~

“I’m so sorry, Ren-Rei. I told Aia-sama I wanted this week off because you were visiting…” Souji looked both annoyed and saddened at the same time, thinking that Ren’s silence this whole morning was a sign he was bothered.

So when the frizzy-haired boy turned to him with a confused smile, well Seta Souji was more than a little startled. “Umm, the way you phrased that makes it sound like I should be mad at you?”

“Eh? You’re not?”

“Why would I be? Sometimes plans don’t go the way we want them to, but it’s not a total loss. I get to see you in your element at the daycare center.” Ren replied with a soft giggle. He turned back to the sizzling pan on the stove, getting to work on making breakfast for Souji, Nanako and himself. The adorable little girl was still in bed asleep, and Dojima-sama had already left for work. “It’s one of the jobs you had while in high school too, hai?”

“Hai,” Souji nodded, still lost. “I thought you’d be mad, we had plans to go to the beach.”

“Souji-koi, we still have until the weekend to go to the beach. It’s okay!” Ren insisted with a shake of his head, folding the egg into a triangle; the skin went from a neon yellow to a pretty, crispy light golden brown. “I can watch Nanako-chan while you work, and then we can stop by Junes on the way back. I don’t really see the problem here.”

“You’re looking forward to seeing me work.” Souji repeated, slowly.

“You told me once that out of all of your jobs here in Inaba, your absolute favorite one was working at the daycare center. Aia-sama took you back without requesting a second application; you’re good at what you do, which is why she called you in over everyone else. I think that says a lot about you, Souji-koi.” Ren carefully flipped the omelet onto a big red plate, looking over his shoulder. “I want to go to work with you, okay? Are we clear?” His tone was still warm but had a definite edge to it.

The silver-haired man let out a sigh, before nodding in defeat. “Hai, loud and clear.” He said, smiling slightly when the raven pecked his cheek as he served him his plate.

“Good, remember I’m always right! Dig in, I’ll go get Nana-chan.” Ren was happy, this time victory was his! He gave Souji a playful wink before he headed up the stairs two at a time for Nanako’s room.

‘Not everyone gets excited to join their fiance on a work shift.’ Souji thought with bemusement, biting into the omelet with vigor. His taste buds did a little dance which only encouraged him to really dig in, only distracted by laughter at hearing Nanako’s squeals of joy.

“Ahahaha, s-stop it! Stop it, Ren-chan! I-I can’t breathe, hahaha!”

“Good morning, Nana-chan! Your smile can eclipse the sun, I’m so happy to see you this morning!”

‘Didn’t Dojima-sama say a man or woman that’s good with kids is a catch?’ Souji mused internally out of the blue, humming as he also dug into the bowl of rice in front of him. He smiled big for Nanako as the little girl came downstairs in Ren’s arms, cheeks pink from all the gut-laughing.

“Good morning, Big Bro! Ooh, Ren-chan made breakfast?!”

“I know you said you liked my omelets last time, Nana-chan. So I saved the biggest one just for you!” Ren exclaimed, blushing when she squeezed him gently around the shoulders.

“I did, your omelets are very yummy! Thank you, Ren-chan.”

The raven set the adorable little girl down so she could take her seat at the table, happy to see the omelet on a big, pink plate. “The plate we got from Junes!”

“Eat up, alright? We’re going to need all the energy we can get today; we’ll be watching your Big Bro as he works his shift at the daycare center.”

“Oh cool, you and I can play together while he works! And maybe I can make a new friend there too.” Nanako beamed at Souji, “Thanks for letting us come along, Big Bro!”

“Hahah, anything for you, Nana-chan.” Souji replied, chuckling softly. He thought it was really cute, how she properly ate her meal while the silver-haired man and his partner chowed down as if they haven’t eaten in days. The three engaged in a bit of small talk across the table, Ren and Nanako bursting into song when the Junes commercial came on the T.V. Souji made sure to record it for Futaba and Sojiro to see later.

“I got the dishes!” Nanako volunteered as tribute, quickly gathering the dirty plates and cups and taking them to the sink.

“I’ll get our boxed lunches out of the fridge then,” Ren said, as Souji wiped down the table.

“You got up early to make us boxed lunches?”

“Dojima-sama said to keep an eye on you two, not my fault I take my job seriously.”

“Your job?” Souji raised a brow. Ren grinned.

“Your handler. And Nana-chan’s playmate but let’s be honest, it’s not really a job if I like it so much right?” Souji snorted.

“Honey, you don’t need to sweeten the deal!” He exclaimed dramatically, “I already said yes!”

“Last time I checked, you proposed to me…”

“And Big Bro was so nervous he dropped the ring down the sink!” Nanako giggled.

“Nana-chan!”

“Oh really? Tell me more, Nana-chan!” Ren egged the little girl on, eyes obscured by the beam of sunlight coming in through the windows. “I always like hearing stories about Big Bro from you.”

“Okay! The first time he dropped your ring wasn’t in the sink, though. He actually lost it for a week! Someone at his university found it and turned it in; the lost and found put up flyers for it since it was so pretty and expensive-looking.”

“Nana-chan!”

* * *

“I know I called you in on such short notice, Souji-kun.” Aia-sama tried her best to look sheepish, and failed. Souji just smiled and gave a half shrug, fastening his apron from behind.

“It’s alright, Aia-sama. Thank you so much for letting my fiance and little sister come along; they’ll be on their best behavior, I promise.”

“Hahaha, I don’t doubt it! They can help themselves to the snacks we have inside too.”

“Thank you very much,” Ren said with a polite bow, Nanako following suit. “Souji-kun talks so highly of this place, and I can see why! I’m sure he’ll be just as great today as any day he’s here.”

“We’ll be good,” Nanako assured, hands clapped over her lap. “Ren-Rei brought some books to read, hey maybe he can read to the other kids!”

Aia-sama’s eyes sparkled, soon taking the raven’s hand. “Oh, would you? We usually have a person designated solely for reading time, but she’s been out sick for the last few days.”

“I’d be happy to,” Ren answered without much hesitation, smiling so big it touched his gunmetal gray eyes. “Like Nana-chan said, I brought lots of books. I can have the kids take a look and put it to a vote on what we read first.”

“And you’re volunteering?”

Ren nodded, “Hai. Don’t worry about payment, after all you’re letting us sit in today!” He glanced at Souji. “Plus...hopefully this will be good practice for the both of us, right?”

The silver-haired man’s cheeks went a bright pink, and Aia-sama began giggling uncontrollably. “Souji-kun, you never mentioned you were thinking about starting a family!”

“We talk about it from time to time,” The raven answered in his fiance’s stead. He pecked Souji’s cheek sweetly, “I’ll go put Nana-chan and I’s stuff away, be right back. Keep an eye on him, Nana-chan! He has to do a very good job.”

“Yeah, Ren-Rei! I’ll keep watch.”

* * *

‘Souji is in his element,’ Ren thought fondly, looking up momentarily from the origami roses he and Nanako were making at one of the picnic tables. He giggled quietly to himself as the children, seven total, crowded around the silver-haired man. After several rounds of tag they were worn out, making it the perfect time to do something a little simpler yet still lots of fun.

Flower crowns.

“The flowers you pick are special, unique,” Souji instructed softly, a tangled mess of green between his fingers. “Which is why you should be extra careful as you work. Let’s see, we have Yarrow and baby’s breath here. Perfect!”

“Why?” One of the girls asked, with short brown hair and wearing a yellow shirt with an orange heart on the front. Souji smiled.

“Yarrow and baby’s breath are filler flowers, meaning they’ll fill in any gaps you might have in your crown. They’re also great for beginners, them and eucalyptus because it will make your crown look extra green and bright. It’s also very soft too. Here, feel for yourself.”

One of the kids, this time a boy with carefully trimmed black hair, reached out and gently pressed down on the greenery with the tips of his fingers. He was soon gaping like a fish, “Souji-sama’s right! It’s very soft, like a blanket or cotton candy.”

The other children wasted no time reaching out, one at a time, to touch the fresh eucalyptus. All of them were fascinated by the flexibility of the gum trees. Souji chuckled, shaking his head.

“We’re not done yet, though. My fiance works at a flower shop, and he brought us a few other options to choose from. Hmm, does anyone think peonies are pretty? Or orchids?”

Several hands shot up, most of them coming from the girls in the group.

“Now we’re getting somewhere, haha! Baby’s breath and Yarrow are very pretty, but if you want your flower crown to be a little extra bold adding these will do the trick. The colors will explode and catch your eye against the eucalyptus.”

“What if we don’t like peonies or orchids?” One of the boys asked, this one with spiky dark blond hair and in a white button-up shirt.

“You don’t have to add them if you don’t want to, they’ll be pretty regardless.” Souji assured smoothly. That was enough to chase away the boy’s fears, his face lit up by a grin now.

“Okay, well show us then! Show us, Souji-sama!”

“Patience, Akiza-chan. We need to make sure we have all the materials to make our flower crowns. I’ll call them out one at a time, you guys tell me if we have enough. Deal?”

“Yeah!”

“Big Bro taught me how to make flower crowns too!” Nanako exclaimed, watching the other kids with glee. “We spent all day making them one time and they turned out really pretty; he made me one out of daisies and Ume.”

“Ume does look nice on you, Nana-chan.” Ren agreed with a nod, fixing his glasses. “And aww, I wish I had been there. It’s been a long time since I last made a flower crown.”

Nanako suddenly blushed out of the blue. “Umm…”

Ren blinked. “Nana-chan, is something wrong?”

“Well…”

“You can tell me, it’s okay.” At the raven’s warm smile, the little girl relaxed slightly.

“I asked Big Bro if we could work on a flower crown for you, Ren-Rei. For your wedding!”

“A flower crown for me?” Nanako nodded, still looking so embarrassed.

“I saw on T.V. once that some brides wear flower crowns instead of veils on their wedding day. They looked so pretty that I thought you’d look pretty in one too! Big Bro thought so too and we made a list of flowers we’d think would look best on you.” The little girl soon looked away, “But then we sort of forgot...school made it really hard to go back to it.”

“Oh Nana-chan, thank you so much for thinking of me like that.” Ren blinked back tears, gently brushing a lock of hair out of Nanako’s eyes. He giggled when she blushed and hid her face in her hands. “Don’t be embarrassed, I think it’s really sweet you wanted to make a flower crown for me. I wouldn’t just wear it for my wedding to Souji, though.”

“Huh? You wouldn’t?”

“I’m pretty sure there are ways to preserve flower crowns so you can keep them forever! I need to look that up to be sure, but I’d wear it on our anniversary too. And Souji-kun’s birthday, yours and Dojima-sama’s. If...if Souji-kun and I ever decide, well then your cousin would get to wear it too!”

“My cousin?”

“You call your cousin Souji-kun ‘Big Bro’, so if your Big Bro had a little boy or girl-”

“No, if Big Bro has a little boy or girl then they’d be my little brother or sister!” Nanako declared, puffing out one cheek. She was soon smiling again, throwing her hands up. “And I’ll teach them everything I know, I promise Ren-Rei! I’ll teach them how to grow veggies and how to make origami flowers, so we can make you some for Mother’s Day.”

“Like you gave Dojima-sama? That was really sweet of you and Souji-kun.”

“Big Bro explained it to me! He said that you can give dads flowers on Mother’s Day too, that it doesn’t matter because a dad is like a mom: they take care of you, they worry about you. They do everything they can for you,” Nanako said, hands in her lap. “Dad really liked them, and you’ll like yours too! I promise to make them very pretty.”

“Everything you make is pretty, Nana-chan. Maybe if you and Souji-kun get a chance to make flower crowns again, can I join? I’ll make him one for our wedding too. We can work on them together!”

“But it won’t be a surprise then.” Nanako pointed out. Ren smirked.

“Not if we work on them together, you and me. You can work on mine with Souji-kun, and I can work on Souji-kun’s with you. We’ll keep it a secret, our ultra special top secret mission!” The raven promised in a whisper. Nanako’s eyes immediately brightened up.

“Like the Phantom Thieves of Hearts?!”

“Hai, I’ll be Joker. I have a Third Eye so I see all, and you...you’ll be Ume. With your creativity we’ll make Souji-kun the best flower crown ever made, I promise you!”

“You promise?” Nanako’s expression was hopeful, sincere. It was rather amazing how she’s managed to remain so innocent and kind, pure.

Amamiya Ren hoped she never changed, never lost her gentle nature and loving deposition. And he’ll do everything in his power to ensure this. Nanako meant the world to Souji, so she meant a lot to Ren too. He’s come to adore her, see Nanako like he saw Futaba: a little sister he’d give his life to protect at every turn.

“I promise, Nana-chan.” Ren started with a firm nod. Nanako’s eyes watered, and soon she was hugging the raven tightly around the waist. “Nana-chan?”

“I’m so happy Big Bro has you, Ren-Rei. You make him so happy, thank you…” Nanako whispered, closing her eyes. Ren gently placed a hand to the back of her head, playing with her hair soothingly once again as he held her close.

“I’m so happy I can, Nana-chan. I promise to always do my best to make Souji happy; if he’s happy and you’re happy, I am too. Thank you, for letting me be part of your family.” The raven felt a lone tear trail down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away before Nanako could see, smiling big when they pulled apart. “You accept this ultra special, top secret mission? Phantom Thief of Hearts Ume?”

“Hai, Joker!” Nanako declared, careful to keep her voice down as Souji continued with his lesson. It seems most of the kids were getting the hang of it, their crowns coming together nicely. “I accept my mission, oh our mission! We’ll make the prettiest flower crowns ever!”

* * *

“Nice choice, I happen to really like this story. It’s part of a series, actually.” Ren informed the children as they gathered on the carpet for reading time. The raven was perched on a small, bright red chair, showing off the cover of the book that won the vote in a landslide: three children standing outside the doorstep of a tall, thin man in striped pants and a tattoo of an eye on his ankle.

“Really, it’s a series?”

“Does that mean there’s more than three?” Ren hummed in confirmation.

“Correct, there’s thirteen books in this series.”

“And you have them all?!”

“Haha, they were just so good I had to own them. Borrowing from the library can be such a drag sometimes. Let’s see...maybe we can get through two chapters, or three.”

“Will you do voices, Ren-sama?”

“Of course, Ide-kun! You can’t read _A Series of Unfortunate Events_ without some voices. In fact, if we can get through one chapter with all of you listening carefully, chapter two I’ll pick a few to do voices for all the characters. For the rest of the book!”

“Yay!” The cheers were music to Souji’s ears, Nanako in the group and sitting up front. The silver-haired man was taking a short break, checking his phone and having some water. All the kids were wearing their pretty flower crowns, bellies full of snacks. It was kind of amazing how they could still have so much energy this late in the afternoon.

‘Ren-koi looks so natural like that…’ Souji’s thoughts couldn’t resist taking a turn down “Want to have Ren’s Babies” lane. This didn’t happen a lot but when it did, it was rather hard for the male with pewter gray eyes to dislodge himself from it.

The topic of kids has come up here and there. It’s something Souji believes most couples should talk about before getting married; everyone’s wants and needs had to be accounted for before making such a big step. At first, both he and Ren were awkward, unsure how to broach it. Over time though they found the courage and both agreed to wanting to start a family.

Ren thought one was enough. Souji wanted two or three. Ren pictured a boy with Souji’s eyes, while Souji imagined two boys and a girl, all taking after Ren. They considered adoption, as Ren himself was adopted but then the idea of having one of their own came up. Ren wanted Souji to be the biological father, Souji wanted Ren. They had time to think it over, discuss it more but...but the fact that they wanted to, both wanted to have a family made the silver-haired man unbelievably happy. It was one thing that Souji was marrying the love of his life, but that said the love of his life wanted a family with him?

If someone had swore to Souji, back when he was still attending Yasogami High School, that later down the line he’d be engaged and dreaming about having a family in a cozy, two-story house in familiar, homey Inaba he would have called them out on their bullshit. Once Seta Souji was so used to being alone, to being constantly on the move. Relationships to shatter, time to remove all sense of unity; that has changed though, and Souji couldn’t be happier to be wrong.

‘I wonder...if something so very small had been changed, or left alone that resulted in us being here together right now. If I had not gone to the underground mall in Shibuya, if I had opted to go straight home instead maybe Ren and I wouldn’t have crossed paths. Or maybe we would have? Just during a different day, a different time; people can go their whole lives without ever encountering each other,’ Souji rested his chin in his palm, smiling when the children giggled at the posh, prim and proper tone Ren used for Snicket. ‘I don’t think it was fate, I think she’s too fickle for this kind of meeting. But whatever it was, thank you. Thank you…’

**“It seems your charge has a Paradise of his own,”** Arsene’s voice echoed in Souji’s head, followed by Izanagi letting out a short, throaty chuckle. He can now hear the Personas that dwelled in his fiance’s heart, like Ren can with his. Izanagi had explained this new development as best as he could: the bond between Ren and Souji was so strong that their hearts were now open to the other. Thoughts no, but hearts and feelings, all could be felt as if they were in the same skin. In battles against Shadows, if both Wildcards were together they had a new special attack. Izanagi and Arsene would emerge from blue flames, entwined by the limbs before launching an all-out assault they cleverly named “Gentle Blade’s Final Ballad”. It resembled a dance between the two, the Gentleman in Red laughing with mischievous delight as Izanagi dipped him before summoning his impressive sword from seemingly out of nowhere.

**“I don’t envy him.”**

**“I would hope not, if you did then I’m failing to tend to your needs as your eternal lover. And I have no intentions of doing so, Anta.”**

**“Believe me, you haven’t.”**

**“I adore you, Hikari.”**

**“As I you, Yami.”**

Izanagi and Arsene even had pet names for each other, much like their respective charges.

Hikari, from Arsene to Izanagi. Hikari, another way to say “Light”.

Yami, from Izanagi to Arsene. Yami, another way to say “Darkness”.

Light and Darkness. Two sides of the same coin; one cannot exist without the other.

‘One cannot exist without the other,’ Souji closed his eyes, letting this line bounce off the walls of his skull.

Suddenly though, a sharp pain rode up the back of his neck. It forced him to take a harsh breath inwards, pewter gray eyes wide as dinner plates.

**“Souji-kun? Souji-kun, what’s wrong?”** Izanagi’s voice was loud in Souji’s ears, but he was unable to say anything.

* * *

_“No, no I can’t…! I can’t let it end like this!” A boy with snow-white hair, cut short and a rather curly mess, gritted his teeth. He pressed his fist to the floor and used whatever strength he still possessed to force himself to his feet. He wiped away the sweat dripping down his left brow, raising his head in a defiant nature._

_Snow-white hair cut short and a rather curly mess, skin the color of alabaster splashed with soft peach and...eyes, wide and deep as the ocean depths, gunmetal gray framed by thick lashes. He was wearing a school uniform, a hand pressed to his side._

_“K-Kouichi…” One voice, a girl’s, croaked out in pain. “No, don’t. They’ll destroy you!”_

_“I have to do something, they have them!” The boy with snow-white hair shouted, shoulders shaking. “They have Mihael and Naozumi. I’m not leaving here without my brother and sister!”_

_“Kou-”_

_“Gah!”_

_“Kou!”_

_Kouichi, Kou, fell to his knees gripping his head. His breathing was rapid, and he looked in immense pain: teeth biting into his lower lip, eyes squeezed shut and unable to get back up. “S-something’s wrong! Inside...this pain-”_

_“Kou?!”_

_“This pain...i-it feels good! It keeps me awake, alert! I, I can’t let it end like this, I can’t! I have to save Mihael and Naozumi, I have to save my brother and sister!”_

_“Kou!”_

_“P...Per...son...a!”_

* * *

“Souji-kun, Souji-kun are you alright!?”

“Ren…?”

The raven let out a sigh of relief, gunmetal gray eyes glistening with held back tears. “B-baka, you scared me!”

“What happened?”

“You got up and said you had to use the restroom. You were gone for a while though so I came in to check on you, a-and I found you on the floor passed out!” This was when Souji realized his head was in Ren’s lap, the younger pressing a wet rag to his forehead. Ren tossed the rag into the nearest sink, carefully helping the silver-haired man sit up. “You were pale and ice cold, Souji-kun what happened? Tell me, now.” The W was sharp, biting.

“I, I guess I was daydreaming.” Souji began. Ren’s eyebrows were arrows over his eyes.

“Daydreaming doesn’t usually leave you splayed on the floor not moving, Souji-kun! What happened, please tell me.”

“I was daydreaming, it was a really good dream,” Souji tried again, gently squeezing Ren’s shoulders so he’d listen. “It was really good, I mean some bad things were happening in my daydream but something in it was amazing. Really amazing…”

Ren forced himself to take a deep breath, close his eyes. When he opened them again, they weren’t as cloudy or dim. He was more relaxed, albeit only a little bit. “Okay, okay let’s try this again. You said it was a really good daydream, even if something bad was happening in it? What was it, Souji-koi? Please tell me, finding you like I did scared me.”

“Ren...” Souji soon drew the raven into a hug, pressing soft kisses to his temple. “Gomen nasai, that wasn’t my intention and I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize for fainting, it was out of your control. I just want to know what caused it, if I need to worry about it happening again or not.”

“I’m not sure,” Souji admitted, frowning. “I’ve never experienced something like it before. It was like a dream, but at the same time a memory.” He broke the embrace but kept Ren close, feeling the raven’s fingers grip tightly at the front of his apron. He was glad Nanako was with the other kids, she didn’t need to see him like this either. “It was like a memory, I saw a boy. A boy with snow white hair, and he...he summoned a Persona!”

“Another Persona user?” Ren definitely wasn’t expecting this revelation. “Is it someone you know, or maybe I…”

“His name was Kouichi, Kou.”

“I don’t know someone with that name, well other than that cute friend of yours from your high school days.”

“Bleh,” Souji faked a gagging noise. He knew about his fiance’s tiny crush on Kou from the YHS basketball team; they’ve had the pleasure of meeting, and yeah it didn’t bother him. It was interesting though, that the kid in Souji’s daydream had that name.

Wait…

“Ren, does the name Mihael mean anything to you? Or Naozumi?” The raven went red almost immediately, ducking his head and hoping his curls would hide the burning in his cheeks. No, that didn't work. “Ren-Rei?”

“I mentioned it once in passing, but you were half asleep so I doubted you heard me. Mihael, I told you once that I like that name for a boy.”

“A boy?”

“Hai, if we were ever to have a kid and it was a boy I liked Mihael.” Ren said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“What about Naozumi?” Souji asked, gently rubbing his fiance’s shoulders this time around.

“It sounds very similar to Nao-san, my birth mother’s name. I’m pretty sure it’s a boy’s name though…”

‘Kou said "My brother and sister" in my daydream though,’ Souji recalled, lips in a thin line. ‘Kou was male, Mihael...if my analysis is correct, Mihael is another boy and Naozumi, while commonly a boy’s name is the sister. Kou, Mihael and Naozumi...three, t-three of them.’

It, it could just be a daydream Souji conjured up in his mind and his mind alone. The pain could be a coincidence. It doesn’t have to mean anything.

But that surge of power, the intensity of the pain itself…

“Souji-koi?” Ren whispered, very, very softly. Souji took a deep breath through the nose, let it out slowly through his mouth. He looked from his hands to the raven again, reaching out to cup Ren’s cheek. “Souji-koi, what-”

The raven let out some semblance of a squeak when Souji abruptly kissed him, the hand not caressing his heated cheek gently cupping the back of his head. Ren’s gasp was stuck in his throat; his eyes soon fluttered shut however as he returned it tentatively, wrapping his arms around his lover’s neck once he got over the momentary shock.

The kiss was sweet as always, but there was something else beneath the surface. The way Souji held him, as if he was trying to express thanks through the close contact and the locking of their lips. Thanks for what, though? Ren pressed back to show appreciation, affection but the confusion lingered; what could the silver-haired man be thanking him for?

When they finally broke apart, meaning when both Souji and Ren needed oxygen to get to their brains and hearts, the raven gently played with the locks of silver hair that made up his fiance’s bangs. He twirled and twisted them between his fingers lightly, tugging from time to time. “Not that I mind you stealing my breath away,” he paused to take another intake of breath, heart rate jumping. “But what was that about?”

“Just...I just wanted to kiss you.” Was all Souji said, smiling. Ren wasn’t satisfied with that answer, but he figured it was all he was going to get out of his fiance. So he accepted it with a small smile back.

“I love you, Souji-koi.”


	8. ~Withered Flowers blossom in the Stream of Tears, They still Think of the Cause~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~Futaba's in here. I really hope I did her justice; she's my second favorite female from P5R and in my top ten list of favorite Persona characters in general. This might be a little shorter than Nanako's chapter with Ren, but I think it's fitting.
> 
> Souji and Futaba bond, Futaba blushes around Souji and Souji thinks that's so cute.
> 
> This chapter lightly touches on the subject of Souji's parents, who in canon are rarely around. I think it's good sometimes to address background issues presented in the overall story.
> 
> The OCs that serve as Ren's parents (as my head canon is that Ren/Akira is adopted) are mentioned briefly here. Oh, and Morgana's here too.~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Next chapter is either going to focus on a scenario in which Ren, Souji or both were jealous of other people possibly making a move on their significant other, or about Arsene and Izanagi. I'm still deciding, but until then I hope this latest installment was fun to read.
> 
> ...I cheated and listened to an Ultimate Persona 4 Music (Study/Work) collection while writing this.
> 
> The anime shows mentioned were ones I really enjoyed, and still do to this day. Blame the discovery of the Death Note Musical for me including said work as one of Ren and Futaba's favorites.~

“How is it that you’re already ready to go and Onii-chan isn’t and he lives here?!”

Seta Souji chuckled softly, pewter gray eyes extra dazzling thanks to the radiant sunshine pouring in through the open front entrance of LeBlanc: Coffee and Curry. He ducked slightly to peck one Sakura Futaba on the forehead. “Ohayogozaimasu, Futaba-chan. I hope you slept well?”

The ginger-haired girl’s cheeks were now red as radishes. Her heart skipped a beat, however. Souji has gotten into the habit of greeting her as such, after getting her permission to, of course, and while it’s been going on for months Futaba still reacted the same way. Pink cheeks, a fluttery feeling in her belly not to mention getting all shy and wanting to shut the door so she could hide behind it.

But it was hard to do that with Seta Souji, who was all smiles and deadpan, sarcastic comments that would make even her, and she was pretty sarcastic on a good day, blush with eyes threatening to pop out of her skull. He was all smiles and laughs and deadpan, sarcastic comments and that was enough for Futaba to stand her ground. She won’t duck and run, she won’t squeak and hide.

Souji was her future Onii-chan too, after all.

“Hai, watashi wa kono 1-jikan ka sokora de okite imasu! Shikashi, ren wa eien ni totte imasu.” Futaba soon crossed her arms, eyeing Souji suspiciously. “Don’t tell me you kept him up all night!”

Souji raised his hands up in the universal surrender pose, shaking his head for good measure. “Konkai wa mujitsudesu, I swear. We planned an all-day anime, video game and movie day today,” The silver-haired man began digging around in his bag. Five minutes or so later, he drew out a handful of DVD’s. Futaba gasped.

“You have ALL the _Death Note_ live-action movies?!”

“You said you haven’t seen _L: Change the World_ , or the more recent ones.” Souji recalled with a grin. It had been over curry one rainy afternoon. “I also have the novelization too, if you want to read it sometime!”

“Duh! Of course I do, L’s badass and I read there’s more info on Nikaido Maki in the book, like she has an Osakan accent and everything or something!” Futaba was beaming now. “You’re okay, Seta.”

“Hahaha, I hope so. Oh, I have _Death Note: Another Note_ too if you want to borrow it.”

“The Beyond Birthday story?!”

“Looks like you two are getting along nicely.” Amamiya Ren greeted from the top of the stairs. His raven hair was even more of a wild, frizzy mess, his glasses were askew and he was stifling a yawn behind his right shirt sleeve. Morgana was splayed out on one shoulder, still fast asleep.

“Finally! You’re up,” Futaba glared lightly at her “Big Bro”. “I’m up before you, I’m up! Before you!”

“Too loud,” Morgana whined as he stirred awake, rolling onto his back and somehow not losing his balance.

“Since we’re going to be inside all day, I just figured I’d stay in my pajamas.” Ren gave as an excuse, rubbing his eyes. “That, and I kept hitting the snooze button on my alarm.”

“Maybe some breakfast and coffee will wake you up.” Souji suggested, wasting no more time sliding behind the counter and rolling up the sleeves of his creme-colored long-sleeve shirt. It looked like he was wearing pajamas too; Futaba can’t remember if they had agreed to this for their all-day anime, video game and movie day, but hey even if they didn’t this was good planning on their part. “I’ll whip us up something fast and yummy.”

“I can’t believe Sojiro-san lets you get away with being behind the counter.” Ren said with a smile, Futaba was already sitting down and awaiting a delicious meal. Souji washed his hands thoroughly in the sink before seeing what he had to work with. “That’s a major sign of trust.”

“Maybe he thinks I won’t leave the place a mess? Not that you do, but any good chef knows to not trust your kitchen with just anyone.”

“That or you won him over with your omelets,” Futaba pointed out, humming in delight. “They’re so tasty! Better than Onii-chan’s.”

“Thanks, Imoto.” Ren rolled his eyes, only pretending to be cross. “I hate to admit it,” the ginger-haired girl stuck her tongue out at this, “but your omelets are to die for. Are you making some for us? Please say you are.”

“Is there any fish in the fridge?”

“Some leftovers from last night,” Futaba replied. Souji smiled, cracking his knuckles.

“Two omelets and a Yakizakana coming right up!”

“Yay, grilled fish!” Morgana was now fully alert, lounging on the stool to Ren’s right. “I always love it when Seta-san comes to visit.”

“Simp.” Futaba said. Ren cackled while Souji hid a smile, keeping himself busy with getting out the eggs, fish, whisk and bowl.

“What did you just call me?!”

“What, it’s nicer than ‘Fedora-tipping Nice Guy’.”

“I’m neither of those things though!” Morgana hissed, sapphire blue eyes narrowed dangerously. Futaba was unfazed, though.

“Oh, so you don’t say ‘Lady Ann’ whenever a certain blonde, big-boobed model comes around?”

“She does have big melons,” Souji agreed, Ren shaking his head and facepalming.

“My fiance’s a pervert, lucky me.”

“I don’t always look there, Ren-Rei. She’s pretty but you have the better ass.”

“I have the better ass to her big melons?”

“I have a feeling you’d have big melons too if you were a girl.”

“Way too early for this!” Ren whined, resting his head on the counter top. Futaba lightly patted his shoulder.

“At least you know he likes you for you.”

* * *

“Your coffee is amazing, Souji-kun!” Futaba wasted no time slurping some more down, tugging at her headphones with her free hand. “It’s dark, but not really strong! And you didn’t add any creamer either, so how…?”

“Lactose-free milk,” Souji admitted, pouring a nice, cool dish for Morgana. “It helps keep the coffee light without compromising the taste or aroma. Sometimes I’d forget to buy creamer during the week so I had to make do with what I had.”

“Lactose-free milk, hey you remembered that!” Morgan praised. “I told you that lactose-free milk is easier on my stomach.”

“Hai, so drink up, Mona-chan.” Souji’s answering smile was big, taking a moment to gently scratch the feline behind the ears. Morgana let out a satisfied purr, eyes fluttering shut.

“So wait, if you’re going to have a little human, are you having cats too? Little humans and kitties,” Futaba asked Ren, hand over her mouth as she chewed. The raven blinked, coffee mug stopping halfway up to his mouth.

“Huh, we haven’t really talked about that. Souji-koi loves cats and I assumed Morgana will still be with us even in Inaba, so-”

“Of course I will, I like it here but wherever you go I go.” Morgana interrupted Ren with a sharp nod. “We’re a team, even once the Phantom Thieves are over and done with.”

“You’re more than welcome to live with us, Mona-chan.” Souji assured him, wiping down the counter now that everyone has been served. “And we’ll try our best to visit Tokyo as much as possible, for Futaba-chan and Sojiro-san and the others.”

Futaba turned pink around the cheeks again when Souji’s smile was directed at her. “B-baka, Onii-chan tell your fiance to stop being so cute! It’s killing me, and I’m eating.”

“I have no control over him outside the bedroom, sorry.”

“Onii-chan!”

Ren smiled widely, giggling when Souji sat across from him to start eating. “These turned out great, domo arigatogozaimasu.”

“Watashi wa shitakatta,” Souji waved off the thanks, shooting his fiance a quick wink. “You did let me stay the night, you and Sojiro-san.”

“When are you going to start calling him ‘Dad’?” Futaba was smirking, resting her chin in her palm.

“Futaba,” Ren scolded, rubbing the back of his neck. Souji cleared his throat.

“It might be too soon for that, Futaba-chan. I think I’ll wait until I get a sign or permission from Sojiro-san directly.”

“But don’t you call Ren’s parents ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’?”

“You hacked into Souji’s phone again, didn’t you? I told you to stop doing that, Souji-koi has his right to privacy!”

“Well Futaba-chan is right, they’ve told me it’s okay to call them that.” Souji replied, crossing his arms and resting them on the counter. He tilted his head to the side, “I haven’t really gotten into the habit though, I don’t know I just feel like it’s wrong to do.”

“Wrong?” Morgana echoed. “Why?”

“Yeah, why?” Ren was curious now. Souji sighed.

“Because your parents have been nothing but nice and attentive, while mine...I’ve told them everything about you, apart from the Phantom Thief element obviously. I’ve told them how long we’ve been dating, about my visits here and that we’re engaged. And nothing, not a single call or letter back.”

“Souji-kun…” Futaba was frowning now, feeling guilty for having brought up the topic of parents. “G-gomen nasai, I didn’t know.”

“Eh? Futaba-chan, you’re fine.” Souji looked confused by her apology. He reached out with careful, thin fingers to fix her headphones for her. “You have nothing to apologize for, really! I don’t talk much about my parents; there’s nothing really much to say, if I’m honest.”

“They might not be at our wedding,” Ren informed Futaba, “But Nao-san and Teru-san...Mom and Dad, they said if Souji wants one of them can walk him down the aisle. And put them down as emergency contacts too, just in case.”

“They’re willing to do that?” Both Souji and Futaba asked in unison. Ren soon blushed.

“Right, I didn’t tell you this. Gomen nasai, Souji-kun. Mom said she’d tell you in person, you know next time we visited…”

“I mean, it’s really nice of her but what about you? Ren-Rei, if you want it then it should be one of them walking you down the aisle instead of me.”

“Teru-I mean Dad, he already volunteered if you said yes to Mom.” Ren clarified, setting his chopsticks down. “He’d walk me down, and Mom would be there with Yosuke. Or if you want to be given away, Mom would be happy to.”

“Talk about shaking up traditions,” Morgana commented, tail swishing back and forth.

“My mom lives for that,” Ren said with a tiny laugh. “And the offer is open, Souji-koi.”

“...She would really be fine with doing that?” Souji’s voice was barely above a whisper now, looking shyly down at his hands. Ren reached over and took his fiance’s hands in his, squeezing them gently.

“Souji-kun, she offered. She wants to, if it would make you happy.” Ren’s tone was soothing, calm and collected. “We’re in this together, remember? When you asked me to marry you, do you remember you said that what’s yours is mine? Well, you left out an important detail: what’s mine is yours too. That includes my family. Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Morgana, Haru, Makoto, Futaba-chan and Sojiro-san, and now Nao-san and Teru-san, they’re your family too. We’re here for you. If your parents can’t make it...well, then we’ll just have to make it up for them. Just because they won’t be there, doesn’t mean our friends won’t either. My parents are yours, and they’d be more than happy to step up as surrogates for the occasion. For whatever else you need.”

“Yeah, we’re family. You’re marrying my Onii-chan, Souji-kun. Which means you’re my Onii-chan too!” Futaba’s blush was more vibrant this time around, expression less playful and more sincere however. “We’re family, and you can always count on us. We’re here for you.”

“Futaba-chan...Ren-Rei…” Souji ducked his head, bangs falling over his eyes. His breathing was steady, but soon his shoulders began to shake. He was crying.

“Souji-kun,” Futaba began, though she decided to cut herself off then and there. Ren knew what to do: the raven rose from his seat to slide behind the counter next to his silver-haired lover. With practiced, comforting movements, the raven gathered the older into his arms. One hand carding through his soft, straight silver locks, the other gently squeezing Souji’s shoulder.

“It’s okay, Souji-koi. It’s okay,” Ren pressed a loving kiss to his fiance’s temple. “We got you, we’re in this together.”

Souji didn’t verbally respond, but the slow nod he gave was more than enough.

* * *

“I’m going to hate this movie, I’m going to cry my eyes out!” Futaba whined, holding on to Souji’s left arm. She fixed her glasses and sighed, “Well, at least if I’m suffering you three clowns will suffer along with me.”

“I’m not watching,” Morgana grumbled, eyes closed as he continued purring. Souji was now giving him a light belly rub, the feline sprawled out in his lap shamelessly.

“Bad Mona,” Futaba wrinkled her nose but said nothing more on the matter, relaxing her once stiff shoulders.

“If he whines about missing anything, let him,” Ren said in consolation, more focused on what they were watching than Morgana. His gunmetal eyes were glued to the screen, his arms wrapped around Souji’s right one. The four were partially laying down, propped up at the torso by pillows Futaba had brought with her (because Ren’s lone wasn’t going to cut it). Futaba and Ren were busy using Souji as a body pillow, nicely cuddled up with a light blanket over their laps. Morgana was cozy, allowing the silver-haired boy to both spoil him and ease himself by keeping his mind and hands busy. Bottles of water littered the floor, along with empty and half-empty boxes of pocky, Jagarico and Umaibo.

They’ve recently wrapped up a two-hour fighting game tournament, with Futaba emerging victorious. Her prize: what movie they’ll watch next, which ended up being _L: Change The World_.

Tissues were grabbed beforehand, just in case. Ren knew he might cry, as Futaba got him into both the _Death Note_ manga and anime adaptation. Futaba loved L, because he’s smart and cool and kind of a shut-in so what’s not to love, so her bawling was a high possibility as well. And if that was the case, well Souji was there to comfort his fiance and future sister-in-law as best as he could.

“So he wrote his own name in the notebook…” Souji said, trying to wrap his head around the rather convoluted story.

“Hai, in the manga and anime Yagami Raito tricks one of the Shinigami into writing L’s name, to protect the Second Kira.” Futaba began, biting into some leftover chocolate pocky.

“L died and Raito took over, but in this storyline Raito’s already dead and was found out to be Kira.” Ren picked up where the ginger-haired girl left off, nuzzling more into Souji’s neck. “It’s really sad, as L was such a great character. The manga and show did drag a little after his death.”

“Yeah Matt and Mello and Near were cool, but not L-cool.” Futaba agreed. Souji hummed.

“Maybe for Halloween we can dress up as _Death Note_ characters,” he suggested, his small smile but sincere. “You can be L, Futaba-chan. Ren be Raito and I’ll be Misa. That’s the Second Kira’s name right, Amane Misa?”

“You were paying attention!” Futaba cheered. Souji laughed.

“The story got a little confusing at times, but it was a fun show to binge. So what do you say?”

“We should! For this Halloween, and next year we do Matt, Mello and Near. We’ll do a group costume! What do you think, Onii-chan?”

“Can we make Morgana go as Ryuk the Shinigami?” Ren asked.

“Hey, don’t drag me into this!”

“Ignore him, yes we can.”

“Hey!” Morgana resented the fact such a decision was made without his consent. He ended up being ignored, however, as Ren shared a high-five with the tiny girl.

“It’s a plan, Imoto!”

“Guys, Maki’s making her entrance,” Souji said with excitement. He knew about the character of Nikaido Maki from the book, and he hoped the film did her justice. So far, most of the _Death Note_ films were pretty solid. It was kind of weird, seeing the movies before watching the show or reading the manga but it worked out in the end. He got to binge it with three of his favorite people in the world.

“So much better than that lame Netflix adaptation.” Futaba hissed, making a face as if she’s just eaten something expired.

“Amen to that, sister!” Ren and Souji said in unison, expressions matching hers in intensity.

* * *

“Arigato, Imoto.” Ren whispered to Futaba, so as not to wake up Souji. Said silver-haired man was curled up on the younger male’s chest, breathing evened out and arms wrapped around his neck. The raven pressed a soft kiss to Souji’s forehead, soothingly rubbing at the small of his back. “I didn’t know he needed this, but thanks to you he’s gotten a chance to relax.”

“He’s my Onii-chan, Onii-san,” Futaba scoffed dramatically, even going so far as to press a hand to her forehead. Ren snickered at her antics, “I got his back, he’s cute and cool. Keep him! Forever.”

“I intend to, forever and ever.” Ren assured the ginger-haired girl, wrapping his free arm around her shoulders once she settled back down. “So, _Black Butler_ next?”

“You’re on, Onii-san. Try not to drool too much, okay?”

“You too, you hear me?”

“Baka.”

“Warugaki.”

“Both of you, yakamashii!” Morgana hissed, sticking his head further into the pillows.

**Author's Note:**

> ~I do not claim ownership of these properties. I am merely writing for fun, love and appreciation for the fandom(s). Thank you.~


End file.
